About The "Experiential" Equine Therapy Program At MTCYR

Equine Therapy
MTCYR operates on a year-round basis. The students seen at MTCYR will participate in our Experiential Program. Our students will have the opportunity to work with and interact with horses in a variety of ways including grooming, herd observation, “Natural horsemanship” exercise and games, and learning to ride.

  Troubled Teen Therapy: Students are seen by their licensed therapist on a weekly basis for individual sessions of Experiential "equine-facilitated"  therapy, where they are joined by a horse training professional. These sessions typically are 1/2 hour to one hour in length. In addition to the weekly equine sessions, client will also be seen weekly for individual psychotherapy with their Therapist.

    During the winter months (January through March), students continue to participate in regular weekly equine-based experiential therapy sessions.  However, due to the frequently inclement weather, modifications are made in the program.  When the students work directly with horses in the winter, it is often with our yearling horses (foal) in a smaller venue, such as our indoor round pen.  Students may also participate in similar therapeutically appropriate experiential activities with their therapist, such as equine "herd observation", where valuable life skills and insights are presented while observing equine social behavior.

    The students also have the option of choosing an equine-based curriculum involving projects and learning that can take place indoors.  The student has several curricula from which to choose, each of which provides the opportunity for hands-on activities that stimulate exploration and understanding of self, relationships, communication, coping skills, and one’s life journey.

The Technical & Therapeutic Side Of What We Do

    At The MTCYR Horse Program, our equine-assisted counseling consists of a hands-on-approach which encompasses "experiential learning." Based on the belief that people learn best by direct and purposeful contact with their learning experiences, (West-Smith, 2000: Priest and Gass, 1997), experiential learning is proving to be more effective than some other traditional behavioral change approaches with at-risk populations. Including horses as part of a psychotherapy unit, is an especially powerful method of involving people in teamwork, problem solving, leadership, communication, and relationship building. The physical benefits of therapeutic riding may also include gains in balance, posture, and self-esteem.

    The MTCYR Horse Program is a collaborative effort between licensed therapists, horse professionals, and family life coach specialists,. We have found, that the use of horses in therapy creates a physical metaphor for dealing with intimidating and challenging situations in life. Horses are large and powerful; accomplishing a task involving the horse, creates a natural opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. When we look at a horse, we see the flesh-and-blood incarnation of powerful forces bottled up within us, thus embodying a paradox.

    Horses' sensitivity to non-verbal stimuli gives them an amazing ability to read people. They offer honest-unconditional reactions to human emotion and mirror exactly what a human's body language is telling them. Troubled teens will complain, "This horse is stubborn", "This horse doesn't like me", but the lesson to be learned is that if they change themselves, the horses will respond differently.

The MTCYR Experiential Approach is a Team Approach.

The team consists of the licensed counselor certified in Equine Therapy, Professional Horse Trainer also certified in Equine Therapy, and Family Relationship Coach, as well as the Troubled teen, parent(s)/guardians, sibling(s), and others who work closely with the youth. The focus is on the troubled teen and family, with the horse as the center of the treatment.

The process begins with identifying problems, strengths, and goals.The team meets together with struggling teen for this process and a treatment plan is developed.

Parent involvement is a critical element in the process.

At MTCYR There is no “one size fits all” treatment plan.
Treatment decisions are made by the team, and are tailored to the individual student.  We recognize also that having a plan for a particular sessions provides structure and direction, but that it is important to be flexible and be prepared to “go with the flow” depending upon what the student (and the horses) bring to that particular session.  We recognize also that the therapeutic value of an activity derives from how the activity is used to address the student's goals and needs, and how it is used in the context of the relationship between the troubled teen and the therapist.  Thus, one cannot assume that a specific activity is or is not therapeutic; its value depends on how that activity is used in the session.

Communication is frequent among team members. Team Members interact with weekly planning meetings for the MTCYR staff, check-ins with teaching staff and parents, and other contacts as needed.

 The primary elements of an MTCYR Equine Therapy session are:  relationship, respect, communication, and trust. When these elements are in place, much can be accomplished.  These elements are crucial for the Equine Therapy sessions, and the work is to bring them into the troubled teens daily life.

 The primary venue of experiential therapy is the equine session.
 The equine session may include grooming, observation of individual horses or a herd, ground work, riding in an arena, trail rides, and other equine-related activities such as learning packing skills or building a model of one's own “trail of life.”  In the equine sessions, the Horse Training Professional is the leader, due to the HTP's knowledge of horses, skill with equine interventions, and safety concerns.  We recognize also that in the arena, the best and most important therapist is the horse. As much as possible, we step back and let the horse do its work.

 The equine therapy is supported by work in other areas of the students life. 
The therapist might meet with the troubled teen individually or within a group, to help the student transfer learning from the equine sessions to their daily lives.  The FLC might initially or periodically meet with the parent(s) to teach and reinforce the use of parenting principles such as “Love and Logic” and to help the parents transfer skills they have learned in equine sessions (such as use of “phases”, rewarding  the “slightest try,” and releasing pressure when the horse/child is moving in the right direction).  Team members also meet with other MTCYR staff to coordination of services.  Therapists participate in some equine sessions to observe the students progress, help design equine activities to address the troubled teens goals, and to identify elements from the sessions that the students can use in their relationships with family members, peers, and others.  FLC also support parents in attending equine sessions when possible during their family visits to MTCYR, and will help families find or obtain resources to help support improved family functioning and cohesion.