For Connie Carlton, MA, MSEd, CCC-SLP, owner of Bright Star Farm located outside of Trenton, N.C., entering into farm therapy began as a quest to modernize and preserve her grandparents’ farmhouse. “I realized I could get some horses and animals and work with children,” she says. The decision has had a dramatic effect on the children she works with.

Although she does not yet practice hippotherapy, pending possible certification, one of the best therapy tools at her disposal has been her miniature horses. “The miniature horses have been quite a bonus,” she says. 

These small-scale animals are just the right size to interact effectively with the children who visit her farm. “[The horses] are at their level; they can point to the eyes [and] the nose,” she says. Children can also help with grooming tasks, and Carlton also allows some children to ride as a reward after their therapy is complete. 

The animals and the farm environment also provide rich subject matter to interest the children, making it more likely that they will want to share their experiences. “We take pictures and put them in their speech book they take home and share with their family,” Carlton says. The children are excited to share the interactions they have had with the farm animals, and Carlton uses these experiences in a therapeutic fashion, building target words and phrases from the activities the children have participated in on the farm.

It is more than the animals, however, that make the farm special. Carlton has witnessed children reacting positively to the very experience of being in the country. “I’ve seen 2-year-olds do like Maria in The Sound of Music,” she says, painting a picture of a toddler spinning in joy with arms thrown wide. 

Children are not the only ones who experience the benefits of a brief sojourn into the country. “The moms are so stressed; I’ve seen them doze off in the hammock,” Carlton says. Some families, too, are anxious to extend their time on the farm. “I’ve had families just stay and hang out after their session is over,” she says. 

It is not always clear what aspects of the farm will reach children, but there seems to be something at Bright Star Farm for everyone. “The autistic kids just love the animals,” says Carlton, theorizing that perhaps they respond better to the less expressive faces and sublanguage communication employed by the animals. Other children look forward to seeing Gracie, the therapy cat, who will actively engage the children when they visit. “It is a very flexible type of therapy, using living creatures instead of static toys,” says Carlton.

Carlton is looking to expand her reach even further in the future, if possible. She notes that she has received inquiries from families with soldiers anticipating a return from Iraq, prompting her to begin investigating therapy possibilities for this population.

Additionally, she has come into possession of a greenhouse, and she has begun investigating horticultural therapy as an addition to her services. The possibilities seem as wide open as the spaces surrounding her.

When Variety Is Key

Jane Norrie is the program director and head instructor at Ride & Shine Special Equestrians Inc., in Arlington, Vt. Her program covers a wide range of clients, difficulties and therapies. Clients are age 3 through their 60s, with a variety of challenges including communication, behavioral and mental difficulties, as well as problems with sensory integration. 

Variety also comes from Norrie’s horses, which she describes as ranging “from a tiny pony to a big old Morgan.” This range of horses and their environment also provide a variety of experiences for Norrie’s clients. “The action and reaction of a horse stimulates the senses, [and] the barn is a very sensory-rich place,” she says.

Norrie’s special interest, however, is working with children with autism, and she likes to start work early. “We’re working with 3- and 4-year-olds because the research shows early intervention [is important],” she says. And even though the farm offers a lot of variety to experience, it can be delivered to these children in a very structured way.

Norrie explains that she always follows the same routine when working with autistic children, from introductions and greetings in the parking lot, to the donning of helmet and proper footwear, to grooming (if appropriate) and greeting the horse and the person working with the child and the animal.

Norrie lauds the value of the horse’s movement for therapeutic purposes. She notes that riding a horse requires good balance and an open diaphragm; she even sometimes has the child ride the horse backward to reverse the movement. 

Working with horses also has a powerful effect on speech, Norrie finds. “It affects the part of the brain [related] to speech and language,” she says. She also notes that therapists “can use [the horse] as positive reinforcement” for successful communication. “What they say affects what happens,” she says, noting as an example a horse’s response to a command to “walk.” 

Additionally, she finds that successfully dealing with and riding a large animal such as a horse can give a boost to a child’s self-esteem and can help alleviate depression. She also finds that the continual stimulation from a horse helps satisfy a child with ADHD’s need for stimulus and teaches him or her that it is possible to focus on a process that requires several steps, like grooming. This skill is then transferable to the classroom.

    – Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti is an Ohio-based freelance technology writer and the owner of Hilltop Communications. Questions and comments can be directed to editorial@therapytimes.com.