Acclaimed author and American icon John Steinbeck once said, “A man on a horse is spiritually, as well as physically, bigger than a man on foot.” There is something special about our connection to animals. Unlike humans, animals will never judge you, talk behind your back, or forsake you for someone else. That behavior simply isn’t in their nature. Perhaps that is why equine therapy is so effective here at Clearview Girls Academy.
Teenagers often live in a constant world of fear, anxiety, and judgment. This is especially true in the social media-saturated culture we find ourselves in today. No longer do our children simply experience these emotional roadblocks at school; they now carry them everywhere they go on the phones in their pockets. This is why here at Clearview Girls Academy we feel it is so important for our students to unplug and connect with something bigger than themselves: nature. Equine therapy helps to create this connection.
What Is Equine Therapy?
Something you may be asking yourself is: What in the world is equine therapy, anyway? That is a fair question! Equine therapy is not a very common healing modality. At Clearview Girls Academy, we feel blessed that we can offer it. We can’t take all the credit for this, though – we have God and the beautiful open spaces of Montana to thank!
Equine therapy is a form of healing that allows humans to interact with horses in an attempt to help humans identify various behavior patterns and to process their thoughts and emotions. These types of interactions include grooming, feeding, and directing the horses. From there, the Clearview Girls Academy equine therapist applies their observations of these interactions to help students in their recovery journey.
There’s just something about interacting with horses that allows someone to momentarily escape from their troubles. Horses do not judge us. They do not spite us. Most importantly, horses never cause intentional harm. This may describe the type of relationship your daughter needs right now
Does Equine Therapy Really Work?
Here’s a short and simple answer to the above question: Yes! Can we guarantee that it will work for your daughter? Of course, we can’t. We say this because we believe in full disclosure and honesty here at Clearview Girls Academy. It’s our policy to never promise anything we cannot 100 percent deliver. We can say, however, that our well-balanced program with a focus on academics, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth has an incredibly high rate of success. Even if working with our equine therapy is not the right fit for your daughter, we have an amazing array of other programs and therapies that would be.
A Swedish study reported in 2022 in the journal, Issues in Mental Health Nursing, found that equine therapy was exceptionally effective in treating adolescent mental health issues. The study’s abstract states, “The results could be summarized by an overarching theme, a physical, emotional, and social milieu for growth, consisting of three subcategories: feeling relief from everyday stress and anxiety; nurturing self-esteem in a mutual friendship, and strengthening self-reliance through synchronized interplay.” These are the effects we have seen in our own students and these are the effects we are sure you would like to see in your child.
How Does Clearview Girls Academy Use Equine Therapy?
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we aim to bring the most balanced and individualized recovery for each of our students. What we mean by “individualized” is that we understand that each of our students is unique and are thus struggling with their own set of unique problems. We may provide them with equine therapy as part of their full program of recovery.
Equine therapy can help with a wide variety of mental health and behavioral issues. These issues can range from substance use disorders (SUDs) to behavioral disorders, to Asperger syndrome, to depression and anxiety. Just as equine therapy can address several traditionally categorized disorders, it can also address a wide swath of smaller behavioral problems.
Equine therapy has been shown to strengthen and/or create a wide variety of positive behaviors. These behaviors include, but are not limited to the following:
- Assertiveness
- Emotional awareness
- Empathy
- Stress tolerance
- Flexibility
- Impulse control
- Problem-solving skills
- Self-actualization
- Independence
- Self-regard
- Social responsibility
- Success with relationships
Having seen these positive changes in a high number of our students, we cannot help but proudly tout our equine therapy program. Seeing is believing, and we’ve seen it!
Abraham Lincoln once famously said, “I can make a General in five minutes, but a good horse is hard to replace.” Based on what we have seen here at Clearview Girls Academy, we’d have to agree with him.
Our horses and our equine therapy program are special to us here at Clearview Girls Academy. They are special to us because each of our students here is special to us, and these beautiful creatures have helped so many of them recover. We cannot speak highly enough of them, and we are blessed to be able to offer their assistance to your child.
Clearview Girls Academy has many tools at our disposal. One of those tools we are very proud to offer is our equine therapy program. Equine therapy can be used to treat a number of issues that your daughter may be facing. This therapy can help adolescents struggling with a myriad of issues from substance abuse to eating disorders, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, and other mental health-related conditions. Let us employ all we have to offer at our ranch to help your daughter recover. It’s time for your entire family to thrive and to live the life you know you deserve. Please call Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484 for more information.
