ADHD/Autism

Opening new communication and regulating reactions in a "YES" environment

AUTISM

To meet the increasing demand of services for children on the autism spectrum, New Dawn Equine Ranch created a program utilizing “The Horse Boy*” method to effectively help children on the spectrum. 

It is a three-stage process that:


Our certified “Horse-Boy” riding professional rides double with smaller children, and assists from the ground with older clients. We utilize many different seating options and use grab belts for added safety. This program starts on the ground and with a barrier between the child and horse and progresses as indicated by response of both. 

New Dawn Equine Ranch provides a “yes environment” (redirection and clear communication to avoid saying the word “no,” which is often used in the autism world) to address these three core behavioral challenges of children on the autism spectrum:

Our goal is to provide an environment in which families dealing with autism can find respite from man-made and industrial stimuli – which are known triggers for chronic episodes, seizures and tantrums of an individual with autism. The therapy promotes communication and teaches skills for looking at situations in new ways.

The bottom line is that the Horse Boy Method really works. When this is combined with the already proven Equine Assisted Learning model that New Dawn Equine Ranch currently utilizes, the joint program offers limitless success


ADHD/ ADD

ADHD is not an autism spectrum disorder.  BUT there is some overlap in symptoms, such as difficulty focusing and staying on task.

Most children like animals and want animals to like them in return.

The advantage with animals in general is that their reaction is pure, and it’s really based on how they’re approached. So if a child is hurried and impulsive, the animal reacts very honestly and will withdraw. If a child approaches the animal in a manner that is not impulsive, but is calm, the animal will respond positively.

Why horses for ADHD?

The long standing theory is that you can divide predatory animals from prey animals. Predators such as dogs need to hide their feelings to fool their prey, while prey animals—including horses, donkeys, and goats—do not.

So horses, in contrast to dogs, would wear their feelings on their sleeve, so to speak, which makes them easier to relate to!

It’s an idea supported by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. In the Eagala program people interact with horses but don’t ride them. All of the therapy work is done on the ground, in an arena, allowing the person and the horse to interact together on their own terms. The goal is to help the person to make connections, first with the horse and later with other people.

Horseback riding as part of the plan

Both therapeutic and recreational horseback riding are frequently recommended for individuals with ADHD. This is because horses respond to both spoken and non-spoken communication through the use of reins and the rider’s legs to direct them. Taking part in this system of communication may provide some of the benefits of learning how our bodies communicate without words.

The rhythmic stride of the horse is calming, and after a while, the horse and rider kind of blend into one—they work together, almost as if they were one

Many of the common goals of ADHD therapy—increased focus and organization, as well as improvements in executive functioning can be met by riding and caring for a horse. That means participation not only in regular feeding and grooming, but in saddling the horse for riding. For the rider it includes concentrating on his posture and foot and hand placement, as well as a sense of being in control of the horse.

Learning direct cause and effect gives them the skills to interact with people and family in the same attuned manner.