Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Students aid Equine Therapy Program

I love it when I get to post about things like this for the equine courses community! :) Some Equine science students have gone above and beyond for equine therapy programs all over! 

"As the semester draws to a close and students reflect on what they learned, some students in the University of Kentucky's (UK) Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program are also reflecting on what they gave.

Each year, students in the UK College of Agriculture's equine career preparation class choose a service partnership with a local nonprofit. In doing so, they are given the opportunity to give back to the community and invest in Kentucky's equine industry, while also gaining project management, event planning and communications experience, said Elizabeth LaBonty, lecturer and internship coordinator within the equine degree program.

This year, the class chose Angel Heart Farm, a Kentucky organization that uses equine-assisted therapy for children and their families facing chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The farm works with patients from Kentucky Children's Hospital and has established connections with Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Over the course of the semester, the students held two restaurant promotional events at Lexington, Ky. restaurants Mellow Mushroom and Hugh Jass Burgers, where a portion of the restaurants' proceeds on that day were donated to Angel Heart Farm. The class also held a Halloween event, in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hearts at Halloween was specially tailored to Angel Heart Farm's clients, with activities that included trick or treating, pumpkin painting, jump decorating, and horses in costumes. Two local restaurants, Red State BBQ and Rafferty's, donated food.

Students raised more than $700 for Angel Heart Farm. They also helped raise awareness about an organization new to the area and created a memorable Halloween event for these children.

"Angel Heart Farm is very honored to have had such a great group of young horse people plan this special event for the farm," said farm owner Tracy Kujawa. "Their hearts and talents played a major part of the success of the event. The students of UK are making a big difference in the lives of some very fragile children who share the same love and joy of being with horses and ponies."

"I am really proud of the students in this class," LaBonty said. "They were creative, hard-working and optimistic. It was such a great experience to get to partner with Angel Heart Farm and Kentucky Children's Hospital."

When asked what they learned from the project, student Irene Kaar said, "I learned that even though some kids have a hard road ahead, they are still optimistic, which is incredibly inspiring."

Other students said they learned some invaluable skills while working for a great cause.

Sean Paul Ryan said for him it was, "the satisfaction of being able to give back and volunteer to help sick kids and donate to a good organization."

Natalie Heitz and Kaylin Corvett said this project taught them the importance of effective planning, teamwork, setting and meeting deadlines, and what it takes to get people excited about attending.

Kaylin Corvett added that the project gave her "a sense of pride in knowing I was helping that farm and those kids."

"I have a great appreciation for Tracy and what she does for these kids," Lindsey Precious said."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19339&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Winter Feed Changes

Use caution when changing a horses feed for winter! If you are involved in horse therapy, equine courses or just own a horse then you need to read this article

"Horses need more feed to replace energy loss brought about by harsher weather conditions as the temperature turns colder, and that means equine owners need to take steps to ensure colic does not become a problem.

Equine owners must practice sound management in altering their animals' rations if problems with colic or founder are to be avoided, said Dave Freeman, PhD, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension equine specialist.

"Concentrate composition and amounts should be increased gradually over a period of several days, especially if the horses are already consuming large quantities of grain," Freeman said.

Many concentrates will have significant levels of soluble carbohydrates, which are efficient providers of energy.

"However, eating too much of these compounds in one meal is a significant contributor to the frequency of colic and founder in horses," he said.

One general guideline is to limit grain feedings to maximum single meal intakes of around 5 pounds per 1,000 pounds of body weight.

"Of course, some concentrates are less energy dense than others, so following recommended intake levels on feed bags is a good practice," Freeman said.

Gradually increase portions of grain mixes over several days when conditions require horses to need significant increases in energy intake is an added precaution against colic, especially when horses are not accustomed to eating concentrates. Freeman said horses may suffer from colic if ration changes occur too rapidly.

A horse's anatomy makes him very susceptible to colic, an acute abdominal pain caused by various abnormal conditions. Nutritional causes of colic include mismanagement such as abrupt changes in diet, consumption of moldy grain or hay, overfeeding energy at a single feeding or improper digestion, and impaction of nutrients brought on by ineffective deworming programs.

Horses suffering from colic may exhibit clinical signs such as restlessness, pawing, looking or nipping at their sides, or violent rolling.

Since colic can occur from many different causes, Freeman said owners who observe signs of colic in a horse should remove all feed, hay and water, and then call their local veterinarian immediately.

"Knowing how to measure a horse's respiration rate, heart rate, and temperature and then relaying this information to your veterinarian will help in his initial diagnosis or treatment," Freeman said.

Horses that will lie quietly can be allowed to do so. However, horses suffering from colic should not be allowed to roll. A horse has about 100 feet of intestines, most of which floats free in the abdomen. This free flotation makes it easy for the intestines to become tangled or displaced.

Additional information about colic and feed management is available on the Internet at http://osufacts.okstate.edu and through Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service county offices by asking for OSU Extension Fact Sheet No. 3921, "Understanding Colic in Horses"; No. 3973, "Feeding Management of the Equine"; No. 3997, "Nutrient Needs of Horses"; and No. 3928, "Evaluating Rations for Horses"."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19329&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

Please support us by "Liking" our page at...Horse Therapy

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Dec. 21st, Ask a Therapist!

One of my favorite sites to get information for psych and horse therapy, PsychCentral.com, is hosting it's Tuesday night "Ask a Therapist" session! It's a great opportunity to learn and ask questions that have been on your mind, relating to therapy! 

"From time to time, we host live chats on Facebook and elsewhere (such as our weekly Q&A chat with myself held every Tuesday night from 9 – 10 pm ET in our community chat room). I’m pleased to let you know of a very special holiday-edition of our Ask the Therapistchat on Facebook tomorrow night at 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT).

Our Live! Facebook event will be taking place our closed Facebook group on Wednesday, December 21st at 7:30 pm ET. It will be an opportunity to ask our therapists Julie de Azevedo-Hanks and Marie Hartwell-Walker questions about life, love, career and other concerns and issues on your mind.

It’s our last event of the year. Hope to see you here!

Join our Facebook Ask the Therapist Group (This is a closed group that requires you to send us a request through Facebook to join it… we approve all requests.) You have to be a member of the group in order to ask your questions."

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Equine Business Conference 2012!

This is a GREAT opportunity for anyone involved in horse therapy and equine courses to connect with others, get sponsorship, and learn marketing for this niche! 

"Equine business professionals in the north central United States are invited to a dynamic, multi-state conference where they will be connected with land-grant universities, industry professionals, and other valuable resources.

In an effort to keep equine businesses a vital part of our rural communities, the Equine Business Conference will provide horse industry professionals with information and resources on liability, business finance, marketing, and insurance for equine businesses.

Hosted by Michigan State University in East Lansing; the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul; the University of Nebraska in Lincoln; and Iowa State University in Ames, this one-day conference will take place on Feb. 25, 2012, in four locations. At each location, participants will hear from a "live" industry expert and will see broadcasts of presenters from the other three locations.

Topics will include:

  • Equine Insurance: Using Insurance to Protect Your Horse, Yourself and Your Equine Business Investment (Wade Ellerbroek, licensed real estate broker, insurance broker and appraiser, Ellerbroek & Associates)
  • Law: Legal Liability and Contracts (Julie Fershtman, attorney, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith P.C.)
  • Taxes and Finance: Structuring Your Horse Business to Succeed in the Future (Tina Barrett, executive director, Nebraska Farm Business)
  • Promotion, Marketing, and Advertising: Tips on Social Media and Low- and No-cost Promotion (Terry Schroeder, chief operating officer, Reichert Celebration Inc.)

Advance online registration is required. The registration fee is $30. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Funded in part by a grant from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, the Equine Business Conference is a collaborative effort between My Horse University and eXtension/horses."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19281&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

Please support us by "Liking" our page at...Horse Therapy

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

EKU Large-Animal RescueTraining

I wanted to share this event that is open to the General Public and EKU Students! If you're interested in Animal Rescue this could be a great opportunity for you! The horse therapy community supports it and this article was found on Thehorse.com, so if you support animal rescue and equine courses, sign up! 

"First responders, emergency medical technicians, veterinarians, firefighters, and other emergency/rescue personnel are encouraged to register for an upcoming training opportunity taking place in Richmond, Ky.: the Technical Large-Animal Emergency Rescue Training provided cooperatively by USRider and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU).

USRider and EKU first began offering this valuable training opportunity in March 2005 to educate fire/rescue personnel, first responders, veterinarians, and horse enthusiasts about techniques and procedures to assist large animals involved in transportation accidents and other emergencies.

"We've found that while emergency responders are trained experts in human rescue and extrication, they oftentimes have no training in large-animal rescue," said Bill Riss, general manager for USRider. "Because of this lack of training, responders are put at great risk. Moreover, in many accidents and disasters, animals without life-threatening injuries are injured further or even killed by use of incorrect rescue techniques."

Scheduled for March 30 - April 1, 2012, the Large-Animal Emergency Rescue Training is open to EKU students and the general public. Taught by Tomas Gimenez, DrMedVet, and Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, authorities in large-animal rescue, the session will include 30 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on training with live animals.

Instruction covers the use of sedatives and tranquilizers, chemical restraint, rescue ropes and knots, rescue from barn fires, mud rescue, helicopter rescue, and water rescue, among other situations.

Specially-trained demonstration animals will be brought in to help provide realistic hands-on training during the seminars. The training qualifies each EKU student to receive FSE 489 credit for the class. Space is limited for the public, so those interested in attending are encouraged to enroll now by contacting Demita Kubala at EKU at 859/622-1051 or demita.kubala@eku.edu."

Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19249&source=rss&utm_sour...

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

Please support us by "Liking" our page at...Horse Therapy

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The 5 Things Therapy Won't Cure

Horse therapy and equine courses are known for their ability to go beyond the physical problem and get down to the heart of things, but there are just some things therapy cant cure....and here's five of them

"I’ve extolled the virtues and benefits of psychotherapy for years. But therapy isn’t a cure-all, and it won’t help every person, with every problem, in every situation. In fact, it’s important to realize when going to see a therapist isn’t likely to help your situation much, because it can save you time, money and needless frustration.

Therapists, by their nature, tend to want to help every person who comes through their door. Even well-meaning therapists may not fully appreciate when they are largely going to be ineffectual in treatment because of the type of problem presented. After all, psychotherapy isn’t some magical elixir. Talking about some topics simply won’t do much to help the situation.

Here are five things that psychotherapy won’t help you much with.

 

1. Your Personality.

While indeed personality disorders make up a good chunk of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the so-called DSM), they also got their own category within that reference book for a good reason — they’re really hard to change.

Personality disorders are typically more ingrained and therefore more difficult to change than most other mental disorders. After all, our personality — the way we relate to both ourselves and the world around us — starts in childhood and is shaped by decades’ worth of experiences, wisdom and learning. You can’t expect to undo decades of personality development in a few months’ worth of psychotherapy. (Years, maybe.)

While psychotherapy won’t likely cure you of a personality disorder or long-term personality trait, it can help mitigate some of the worst features of the problem, or reduce its intensity. For instance, while someone with narcissistic personality disorder may still go through life thinking they’re better than everyone else, they can learn to tone it down in their individual dealings with others so it becomes less of a social and work impediment. Introverted people will still be largely introverted, but they can learn to feel more relaxed and comfortable in social situations.

2. Your Childhood.

Sigmund Freud and many others of his era traced a lot of emotional health problems back to a person’s childhood. As much as we would like to try, however, we can’t go back and fix our lousy childhood. It is what it is — a piece of our history.

What you can fix in psychotherapy is how you interpret what happened in your childhood… And whether you choose to cling to those issues, or whether you can grow from them after obtaining insight into their significance. But therapy won’t cure you of your bad parents, rotten siblings, crumbling childhood home, or sketchy neighborhood where you grew up.

3. Half a Relationship.

It takes two to make a healthy relationship work — and to continue to grow and move forward after the relationship has hit a few rocks. Psychotherapy can help couples through those rocky parts, but only if both people agree to counseling with an open mind and a willingness to work on the relationship. This means both partners also have to be willing to undertake some changes (not just pay lip service to them).

While one half of a couple can go into counseling to work on relationship issues, it’s not going to be nearly as effective as having both halves in therapy. Therapy with only one side will usually only help that person to better cope with their partner’s problems or issues (this is more of a band-aid than a long-term fix). Or, worse, help that partner to decide whether the relationship is even working at all.

4. A Broken Heart.

Nearly all of us have gone through it — the feeling like your heart has just been ripped out of your chest and stomped upon. When love dies, it’s one of the worst feelings in the world. Sadly, it rarely ends after just a couple of days.

But talking to a therapist isn’t likely to help much with this issue. The end of a relationship is one of those really difficult times in almost everybody’s life where there are no shortcuts or quick solutions. Talking to a close friend, focusing on activities (even if you don’t feel like doing them), and immersing yourself in things that will keep you busy are your best bets, as time does its magic.

Therapy may help a person who gets “stuck” in ruminating over the details of the old relationship, even years after it’s over. If a person can’t move on, talking to a professional may help them understand the relationship better, and bring perspective to their life.

5. Losing Someone.

The proposal for the new revision of the DSM suggests that normal grief may become diagnosable as depression, but grief isn’t typically considered a mental illness in need of treatment. Despite the popular common wisdom of the “5 stages of grief,” the reality is thateveryone grieves loss differently and uniquely.

Like in love, psychotherapy isn’t going to do much to help speed the natural processes of time and perspective. Grief needs space for remembrance and being with your thoughts of the person who’s passed away (in other words, grieving is best done when it’s done mindfully and with patience).

Therapy can help, however, a person who gets “stuck” in a life oriented toward grieving or a person who, even years later, still cannot get over the loss. But for most people, psychotherapy is both unnecessary and overkill for what is a normal process of life and living."

Pegasus is an organization that brings recovery through Horse Therapy and Equine Courses to help people achieve an addiction cure! Visit PegasusEct.com for more information! :) 

 

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