Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Aug / Sept 2017: The Kids & Family Issue | Page 26

Kids & Education
The primary goal of
the therapy is to develop
clients’ courage, self-
control, confidence, and
sense of responsibility.
The therapist and patient are able
to connect during their sessions.
Together, they can discuss behav-
iors and process emotions, while the
patient experiences the soothing ef-
fects of working with horses.
EQUESTRIANISM
FOR EVERYBODY
In addition to the astounding results
seen in the therapeutic fields, lei-
sure time spent around horses and
horse-riding itself offer a number
of physiological and psychological
benefits.
Connection with nature
Horse riding facilities are mostly out-
side, and it is proven that spending
time in an outdoor environment re-
duces anxiety and brings a sense of
peace and connection with the nat-
ural world. A recent study conducted
by the National Trust UK discovered
that children today spend half the
time their parents did playing out-
side and that nine out of 10 parents
would prefer their child spend
more time connecting with nature.
Encouraging a hobby such as horse
riding is an ideal way to facilitate this,
as it includes the added health and
emotional benefit of human-animal
interaction.
26 WANDERLUST
A sense of community
Many expats don’t own pets due to
the transient nature of the expat life-
style. Being around horses can fill the
gap, bringing with it all of the bene-
fits of pet ownership. Looking after
a horse encourages nurturing skills,
self-discipline and a sense of respon-
sibility. Regular involvement in a
riding school facility also encourag-
es teamwork, as many of the activ-
ities require two or more people to
collaborate.
Core strengthening
According to Alison Stout of
Evergreen Health Sport & Spine
Care in the U.S., horseback riding
works the core muscles that stabi-
lize the trunk: the abdominal, back,
and pelvic muscles. “It’s not just
about the strength of the core,” she
says, “but the coordination and sta-
bility of it as well.” That means, the
more you ride, the more your body
learns how to move with the horse,
effectively exercising different parts
of the body.
Muscle tone
As well as the core muscles, the in-
ner thighs and pelvic muscles can
get a great workout through rid-
ing, helping with overall muscle
tone and flexibility. This muscle
strengthening can be just as ef-
fective as a typical weight-bear-
ing exercise, giving the arms and
shoulders a good workout as they
gently communicate with the
horse’s mouth.
Confidence
There’s no doubt about it: Learning
how to maneuver half a ton of
horse boosts self-esteem. And the
way the horse responds to our
gestures and commands gives us
greater self-awareness and the op-
portunity to experiment with how
we interact successfully (or not so
successfully) with others. Horses
are intuitive and sensitive. They
respond well to gentleness, kind-
ness and patience, much like hu-
mans do.
Social skills
Establishing a relationship with a
horse gives us the opportunity to
practice our social skills, developing
many positive qualities such as trust,
patience, receptiveness, negotiation,
cooperation and boundary setting.
Having fun
Interacting with horses is a fun and
wholesome hobby and provides a
brilliant opportunity for meeting new
people.
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