Horse Therapy for Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a medical condition that affects how people think and behave, and the way they feel and function.

More than feeling down or being sad, depression may affect a person’s interest in activities, work and quality of life. It can happen to anyone. Of the 121 million people suffering from depression worldwide, an estimated 5.8% of the Singaporean population are affected by it. Fortunately, depression can be treated, treatment results most effective if the condition was diagnosed and intervene early. ​

Many people struggling with addictions, trauma and other mental health issues have learned that feeling is painful. They may use drugs or engage in certain compulsive behaviors (e.g., sex, eating or gambling) in an attempt to numb sadness, anger, fear or even joy. For therapy to be successful, one of the first steps is learning to identify, experience and cope with emotions without trying to escape.

Horse Therapy for Depression

• Equine therapy is a powerful way to get in touch with thoughts and feelings. Instead of using their minds to address problems, which often leads to denial, blaming others or intellectualizing their way around the problem, they use their bodies and hearts to feel and react in the moment. 

• Horses have a unique ability to sense emotions and react accordingly.

• It occurs outside in the fresh air in a paddock or arena with horses- nature heals us- our biorhythms change our breathing slows down and we have space to calm down and re-gain perspective.

• Horses are very aware and present and they ask that of anyone around them, so working alongside the horses you are encouraged to be in the here and now- there is no space for all of those thoughts, you have to be present to the horse and to your relationship with the horse.

• Horses provide immediate feedback, they respond to our body language and to our feelings or to the suppression of our feelings. Horses encourage us to feel, they feel safe when we are expressing what is really going on for us- I don’t think that you can fake ‘fine’ around a horse. Just being around a horse tends to help us to feel good- the smell, the feeling, their warmth and empathy.

Other Special Needs Conditions 

At Healing Horses Singapore, we provide a range of Professional Horse Therapy Services to help children/teenage/adults with special needs to manage the conditions as listed below. Through the years, we’ve seen significant results of Horse Therapy on child/teenage/adults, their progress is our greatest rewards and motivations! 

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Brain Injury
• Cerebal Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Developmental Delay
• Hypotonia
• Muscle Dystrophy
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Spinal Injury

Note:

*Students with financial issues, can approach us for assistance *Free demonstration on basic horse management will be conducted for students on their 1st session

Terms and conditions:

*Strictly by appointment only

*Training will be conducted at the school’s premises itself and allocation of a private room is needed to conduct.