Anxiety is one of the most prominent disorders that we see in horse therapy and millions of people suffer from it daily! Here are some amazing managment techniques to crush anxiety!
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/28/video-a-real-sufferer-cherry...
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, and/or other disorders please contact Pegasus horse therapy and equine courses and see how you can reach a solution :)
This is something that has been around for quite some time now in the equine therapy and horse therapy communities, but now there is a blog devoted to just that! Check it out
"Every relationship needs help from time to time.
But couples who are grappling with addiction issues — with alcohol or drugs — have special needs above beyond those in a regular, everyday relationship. The 12-step recovery process can bring couples closer together, but it’s often a challenging time for the health of the relationship, too.
So we’re proud to introduce Couples in Recovery, a blog devoted to these kinds of issues, with Elaine Leadem, MSW, CSAT and John Leadem, MSW, MS, CSAT.
Elaine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Elaine holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Marywood University. John is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania with a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Marywood University and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Administration from the University of Scranton. They both enjoy specialized training by Patrick Carnes, PhD, and they both sport dual national certifications for Sex and Multiple Addiction Therapist by the International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals.
Please give the Leadems a warm Psych Central welcome over at their blog today!"
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/23/introducing-couples-in-recov...
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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This is great for any horse lover or for those involved with equine courses, horse therapy, or equine therapy.
"The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Extension has announced the dates and times of a four-part equine environmental stewardship course. The course begins July 19 and continues through Aug. 9.
Each class will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Londonderry Township Municipal Building, located at 7835 S. Geyers Church Road in Middletown, Pa. The four-part course costs $45 and includes a reference notebook, handouts, and a soil test kit.
Dates and session topics include:
For more information on the equine environmental stewardship course, contact Donna Foulk at 610/746-1970."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20326&source=rss&utm_sour...
Pegasus equine therapy brings counseling to individuals as well as groups!
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Though it may not seem extremely relevant to horse therapy and equine courses, this is something many people struggle with. It's seems you can have a great couple days in a relationship only to let one day ruin the rest of the week.
"Have you ever had one of those days where it’s clear that your relationship is more aggravating than soothing?
Every relationship has its share of frustrating days. An occasional bad day is expected and normal in any relationship. Only when the negatives begin to outweigh the positives is it time to become concerned.
Dr. John Gottman, a relationship specialist, identified through his research a concept he callspositive sentiment override. This refers to the lens through which we view and experience our relationship and partner on a regular basis:
Is our relationship and view of our partner generally positive with moments of negativity, or vice versa?
Gottman’s research suggests that it is important to view our partner’s negative moments as the exception to a bank of positivity built up over time in the relationship. If it seems that our partner’s positive moments are only the exceptions to consistent negativity — whether in attitude or relationship environment — then there is a greater likelihood of eventual breakup or divorce.
Simply stated, the culprit of relationship demise is not always the content of the arguments or the frustrations. Our perception of these events and our overall relationship environment also are important. However, for many of us, creating this concept of positive sentiment override in our relationships is much more easily said than done.
So, let’s look at some ways to create a healthy relationship environment with our partner that’s based on a bank of positivity:
1. Three positives to every one negative.
When your partner acts in a way that triggers negative emotion for you, come up with at least three positive things he or she does that either make you feel good, or that support the positive nature of your relationship.
2. Weekly togetherness activity.
Try doing something together on a weekly basis. It could be a date, but it could also be a productive activity, such as planning an event, building a model, baking cookies, doing a puzzle, making a photo album, writing a story, etc. Make it active rather than passive (e.g., watching TV together is passive interaction).
3. Turn frustration into an opportunity.
Is your partner having a bad day and acting coldly (or otherwise) toward you? Rather than joining in the negativity, try to understand what’s bothering your partner. See how you can be supportive to him or her. Keep in mind, once arguments start, listening stops on both sides. So having a productive conversation that can foster repair contributes to a healthy relationship environment.
4. Be mindful of the bad day.
Rough days will happen. Your partner will get angry and vice versa. If your partner is aggravating you, train yourself to think, “this must be a bad day,” rather than, “oh, there he or she goes again.” The former quote creates the exception moment; the latter quote creates a sense of negative constancy. Remember to still be supportive to your partner during these days — don’t be dismissive of your partner’s experience of the bad day simply because it’s recognized as the exception.
5. Build relationship rituals.
Healthy relationships often include joint rituals that increase positive affect and unity. These rituals often reflect a combination of each other’s relationship values. For example: dinners together; going to bed at the same time; weekly time with friends as a couple; enjoying a favorite TV show together; cooking together, etc.
6. Check in with yourself.
It can be easy to project our own emotions onto our partners. If you notice yourself frequently viewing your partner or relationship as a source of frustration or obstacle in your life, check in with yourself to see if something is happening on your side that could be contributing to these emotions. Outside help can be useful for this.
7. Check out couples therapy.
Couples therapy also can be very helpful to address and undo patterns of relationship negativity and help redirect your relationship into a positive environment.
While there are other areas that also have influence in the overall health of a relationship, having a general sense that our partner and environment are supportive encourages growth and strength as a couple. Thus, the occasional bad day ends up being just that — the occasional bad day."
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/07/11/7-tips-to-help-your-relation...
Pegasus equine therapy brings counseling to individuals as well as groups!
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Tomorrow is International Helmet Awareness Day! If you are involed with horse therapy or own a horse let someone else know!
"The webinar speaker schedule for the 2012 International Helmet Awareness Day has been announced. Riders4Helmets.com teamed up with leading helmet manufacturers around the globe to host this year's International Helmet Awareness Day on June 9.
"In addition to dedicating International Helmet Awareness Day 2012 to Courtney King-Dye, we are proud to also dedicate it to Dr. Craig Ferrell (MD), U.S. Equestrian Team Physician and Chair (of the Fédération Equestre Internationale) Medical Council, who passed away on May 28," said Lyndsey White, founder of Riders4Helmets. "Dr. Ferrell worked with us on the Riders4Helmets campaign for two years and we intend to continue to grow the campaign globally in his honor."
The "Get Educated" webinar live stream will begin June 9 at 9:00 a.m. Speakers and times include:
Sign up for the talks at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/385029170. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early. For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign, visit www.riders4helmets.com."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=20142&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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I thought I would post up the health topics to be discussed at the equine therapy Va. Equine Conference in case anyone is going or would be interested.
"The topic of the 2012 Southern Peidmont Equine Extravaganza, taking place April 7, is "Putting Science into Practice." The conference, sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council (VFGC), will be held at Virginia Tech's Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, located outside of Blackstone. A grant from the Virginia Horse Industry Board is supporting the conference.
Speakers will present information on a variety of topics including grazing systems, nutrition, riding, training, and preventative medicine. Horse health and behavior presentations will include:
An advanced pre-registration fee of $10 per adult will help offset the cost of meals and the speakers' fees. There is no cost for those under the age of 18. Pre-registrations must be postmarked by March 30. Registration on the day of the event will be $15 for adults and $5 for youth. All paid participants over the age of 18 will receive a coupon for a free bag of horse feed, compliments of Southern States Cooperative.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m., with the actual conference beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Buffalo Creek Pony Club will provide lunch. The conference will conclude at 3 p.m.
For more information on this conference, visit the VFGC's website or contact Margaret Kenny at makenny@vt.edu or 434/292-5331."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19715&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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This is something that many many people struggle with, roughly 1 out of 5 relationships in the U.S. I wanted to post and share this with the horse therapy community because I'm sure you've thought about these things yourself or know someone who has gone through a bad relationship. Please take a look at this video from Psych Central on the issue of Cheating.
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/01/30/video-on-cheating/
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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In horse therapy we get a lot of perfectionists, including myself. People think there is always a "right" way or "wrong" way to do things like haltering a horse. This article takes a look at perfectionism and brings out the good!
"There are many pitfalls of striving for perfection. Most of us are familiar with these damaging effects: the pressure that leads to paralysis, a fear of mistakes, missed deadlines, stress, anxiety, low self-confidence.
But many people also credit their perfectionism for their great success. According to self-professed perfectionist Jeff Szymanski, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and author of The Perfectionist’s Handbook: Take Risks, Invite Criticism, and Make the Most of Your Mistakes, there is such a thing as healthy perfectionism.
He distinguishes healthy from unhealthy perfectionism in this way:
As a rule of thumb, you’re operating within the realm of healthy perfectionism when your payoffs are greater than your costs, you are striving for and meeting standards you set for yourself, and you value organization. However, your unhealthy perfectionism is at play when your behavior, choices, and strategies are driven by factors such as a fear of failure, chronic concerns about making mistakes, constant self-doubting, attempts to live up to others’ expectations of you, anxiety about always falling short of self-made goals, and if your costs outweigh your payoffs.
Szymanski cites findings from a review of 20 years of perfectionism research. The results were quite surprising. It revealed that healthy perfectionism was associated with everything from less depression, anxiety and procrastination to higher achievement and academic success to more social support, greater life satisfaction and less self-blame.
The problem with perfectionism, he explains, isn’t in wanting things to be perfect. It’s in what we do with that desire. According to Szymanski:
In other words, our intentions, desires, and ambitions aren’t the problem. Rather, what matters are the ways in which you go about achieving those desired outcomes — the strategies you choose to use. Different strategies lead to different outcomes…Research on perfectionism has found that striving to achieve personal standards (your intention) isn’t where the problem occurs. Instead, people run into trouble when they become preoccupied with making mistakes and doubting themselves excessively. These ineffective strategies are, in fact, what get in the way of reaching our desired outcomes.
In his book, Szymanski has a useful way of thinking about perfection that can help perfectionists achieve good outcomes. Consider a recent experience when you didn’t achieve what you aimed for, and think about the following:
My intention was to ________________
My strategy was to _________________
My desired outcome was ___________
The actual outcome was ______________
"
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/01/17/a-different-take-on-perfecti...
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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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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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! :)
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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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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:
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! :)
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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! :)
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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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How we act around a horse during horse therapy or equine courses effects the outcome of the entire session. If a horse is experiencing stress or anxiety it will increase the heart rate and the horses Equine Preformance can decline.
"A new show ring and a new environment can equate to stress--and even poor performance--for your horse. Because according to Danish equitation scientists, the faster a horse's heart rate in a new environment, the more likely he is to perform poorly.
New places are also not the ideal environment for teaching your horse a new trick, added Janne Winther Christensen, PhD, from the faculty of science and technology at Aarhus University in Tjele, during the presentation of her study at the 2011 International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) Conference, held Oct. 26-29 in Hooge Mierde, The Netherlands. As she and her colleagues discovered, not only do horses tend to perform better at home, they also tend to learn better.
Studying 25 Danish Warmblood geldings (aged 2 to 3 years) all pastured together, Christensen and her fellow researchers compared heart rates when the horses were being taught something new at home, and when they were being taught the same task again in a novel, competitionlike environment a month later. At both sites, the horses were trained to sidepass (crossover) when the handler cued the horse with a whip.
Before training started at each site, the researchers gave the geldings a basic "fearfulness test," in which they noted and rated the horses' behavioral reactions in response to a surprise object. They also checked the basic cortisol (the "stress" hormone) level in the horses' droppings while they were at pasture and observed their social rankings within their group to determine if that had any impact on learning and performance ability.
The researchers determined that not only was heart rate generally higher in the novel environment than in the home environment (65 versus 53 beats/minute), but it also was a good indicator of how the individual horses would perform in the show ring, as performance quality (in reference to performing the sidepass) decreased as heart rates increased, Christensen said.
However, individual heart rate wasn't related to how the horses performed at home, she said. Neither was their basic level of fearfulness.
Performance in the new environment was significantly associated with the basic level of fearfulness, with individual performance levels the lowest for the horses determined to be the most fearful. "Performance in a stressful environment may be predicted by a fear test in the home environment," Christensen said.
That being said, performance in the show ring cannot be predicted by performance at home. "There was no correlation between performance in the home environment and in the novel environment, meaning that horses that performed well in the home environment did not necessarily perform at the same level in the novel environment," added Christensen.
A horse's basic stress level and social ranking had no effect on performance at home or away, Christensen said. But an interesting side finding was that the basic stress level was clearly related to the social ranking in this study: the higher the social rank, the lower the basic stress level."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19193&source=rss&utm_sour...
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With Winter rolling in again many horse owners, whether apart of equine courses or not, are going to have to
"With the change of seasons, USRider--the national provider of roadside emergency assistance for equestrians--reminds those who travel with horses to be careful when traveling and invest time doing routine preventive trailer maintenance to enhance their travel safety.
It is imperative to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter driving. Be sure to maintain your vehicle according to the manufacturer's service schedule. It's also important to take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic.
"When it comes to vehicle maintenance, especially heavy-duty vehicles towing precious cargo, it is better to be proactive than reactive," said Bill Riss, general manager of USRider. "If you have not already done so, establish a relationship with a trusted ASE (the National Institute for Automobile Safety Excellence, www.ase.com) mechanic. It is essential that you do this before your vehicle breaks down on the side of the highway while towing your horse trailer."
USRider recommends that you check tire pressure before each trip. This is especially important with temperature changes. If you are traveling from a warm climate to a cold climate, air pressure in your tires will drop. On the other hand, when traveling from a cold climate into a warm climate, the air pressure will rise.
A weak battery will usually reveal itself during cold weather. If your battery is more than a couple of years old, be sure to check it prior to cold weather setting in. Otherwise, you will most likely be inconvenienced on some cold morning when the battery fails to start your vehicle.
When driving, a good rule of thumb to follow on the road is "rain, ice, and snow-- take it slow." Before setting out on a trip, take the time to check weather reports and plan accordingly. Be sure to allow extra time for inclement weather. Mother Nature doesn't care that you need to be somewhere at a certain time.
Always drive with your headlights on during inclement weather--even if it is not dark. USRider recommends that owners drive with headlights on anytime when trailering horses, regardless of weather, because of increased visibility afforded by using headlights.
Also during inclement weather, be sure to increase distance between vehicles to allow more stopping time. USRider recommends that you double the normal distance between vehicles when towing a horse trailer.
"Stopping on snow or ice without skidding and/or jackknifing takes extra distance. Use brakes very gently to avoid skidding," added Riss. "If you begin to skid or jackknife, ease up on the brake and steer into the skid to regain control."
During winter months, traction tires are recommended. In order to qualify as a traction tire, tires must have at least an eighth of an inch of tread and be labeled Mud and Snow, M+S, All-Season, or have a Mountain/Snowflake symbol. Since tire performance can vary, a trusted area dealer could be able to advise you on the best tires for your vehicle.
Since it's difficult to know what road conditions you may encounter during the winter, make it a practice to refuel when your vehicle fuel gauge drops below the halfway mark. In many states, you can dial 5-1-1 for travel conditions and road closures.
In some states, vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), including some passenger trucks, SUVs, RVs, and vehicles towing trailers, must carry chains on certain highways Nov. 1 through March 31. Check with the Department of Transportation or Department of Motor Vehicles for information on the states you will be traveling through.
TheHorse.com takes a look at conventional and natural horse training for young horses in this article. Typically, the horse therapy community uses body language and natural training for their therapy horses and if you've seen the Documentary "Buck" then you exactly what that is like. Here's the study....
"How to properly train a young horse to be a riding mount is a topic now being discussed in equestrian science circles, as researchers recently compared the emotional effects of "natural" versus "conventional" methods of early training. Their results indicate that natural training methods produced fewer signs of stress in young horses at three important stages of training.
In the current study led by Polish equestrian scientist Witold Kedzierski, PhD, from the department of animal biochemistry and physiology at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, natural training consisted of working with horses individually in a round pen, starting them with ground work, schooling them to avoid pressure, and helping them get used to unfamiliar objects. Natural trainers waited for each horse to show acceptance to the saddle and to having the weight of a human over its back before mounting the horse in a seated position, Kedzierski said.
"Essentially, the natural trainers used body language to communicate with the horses," he added during a presentation at the 2011 International Society for Equitation Science Conference, held Oct. 26-29 in Hooge Mierde, The Netherlands.
Conventional training in this study involved first training the horses to walk on an automated walker and then longeing the horses in a training arena. Once the horse could be controlled at a trot on the longe line, it was saddled and longed under saddle until it accepted the saddle, and then it was mounted by the trainer.
Working with 32 two-and-a-half-year-old purebred Arabian colts and fillies divided into the two training groups, Kedzierski, along with fellow researchers Iwona Janczarek, PhD, and Anna Stachurska, PhD, from the department of horse breeding and use at the University of Life Sciences, monitored the horses' heart rates at three specific moments in the training program: the first time they were saddled and had the girth tightened; the first time they walked under saddle; and the first time the trainer mounted the horse. He also monitored them at rest prior to training as a control.
Upon reviewing the study results, the team found that the horses' heart rates differed significantly depending on the training group they were in. And the horses that were trained naturally had the lowest heart rates--which is generally accepted as indicating less excitement.
The conventionally trained horses had higher heart rates the first time the girth was cinched and the first time the rider mounted than did the naturally trained horses, particularly the colts, Kedzierski said.
"The initial training of naive purebred Arabian horses with the use of natural training methods involved less emotional response than with that of conventional training methods, and this difference was most pronounced in colts," Kedzierski said.
It remains unclear why colts in this study were most affected by the natural training. Additionally, it's important to remember that each horse responds differently to specific training methods, so use caution when changing training methods."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=19137&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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So I watched a movie the other night on Netflix called Buck. Now I must say, whether you're a horse owner, someone in horse therapy, or don't know anything about horses, you must see this movie! Sometimes horses can tell us more about a person than a human could.
If you liked the trailer I highly recommend watching the movie on Netflix and going to our website at Pegasusect.com. We do counseling with individuals and groups so give us a call and maybe you will learn something about yourself!
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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!
I know this is something overlooked much to often on horses and we tend to forget about the basics sometimes; even those in horse therapy can forget about horses' teeth! This article from TheHorse.com exaplins how you can manage deciduous teeth in young horses. I think this article is a great reminder for the average horse owner and owners that are involved in equine courses. 
"Most horse owners are privy to caring for their adult horses' teeth and diligent in obtaining proper dental care. But caring for foals' and young horses' deciduous (or simply put, baby) teeth is a little different, at least from a veterinary standpoint.
At the American Association of Equine Practitioners Focus on Dentistry meeting, held Sept. 18-20 in Albuquerque, N.M., Jack Easley, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP, a private practitioner from Equine Veterinary Practice LLC, in Shelbyville, Ky., discussed what to watch for when dealing with deciduous teeth, and what veterinarians look for when examining them.
"Knowledge of eruption times of deciduous and permanent dentition should be second nature to veterinarians working in the equine mouth," Easley said. "The shedding of deciduous teeth is an entirely natural process that generally does not require human intervention to proceed normally."
However, he noted, as with any other natural occurrence, sometimes things don't go as planned. Some veterinary intervention could be required to put the young horse's mouth on track for a healthy life.
Basics of Tooth Eruption
"Horses under five years of age have mixed hypsodont dentition," Easley began. "From 12 months to six years, equids shed 24 deciduous teeth and erupt 36 to 44 permanent teeth."
Easley explained that a foal's first deciduous incisors erupt at about six days of age, followed by the second incisors at about six weeks and the third incisors at about nine months. These deciduous incisors are smaller than the horse's permanent teeth and are shaped like a dome.
"They have a flattened root, short crown, and shallow infundibulum (a crescent- shaped depression in the central crown of a tooth) on the occlusal (chewing) surface," he noted.
The incisor caps begin shedding when the horse is about two-and-a-half years of age and continue to shed until the horse reaches about four-and-a-half years.
Horses' deciduous premolars begin erupting shortly after birth, Easley noted.
"As the juvenile horse matures, the crowns of deciduous premolars wear thin and the roots resorb, forming a flat premolar cap as the underlying permanent teeth erupt," he added.
The juvenile horse's permanent teeth will erupt starting at about a year old and continuing until the animal is four years of age.
Easley explained that horses have vertically successional teeth, meaning that each deciduous tooth and its associated permanent tooth reside in the same alveolar crypt (the sockets from which horses' teeth erupt). The mechanisms behind equine tooth eruption have not been studied in great detail, he noted, but it's likely that eruption is a multifactorial (having multiple causes) process fueled by eruptive, resorptive, and hydrostatic forces.
He also relayed that between the deciduous tooth and the permanent tooth lies a layer of soft tissue that contains osteoprogenator cells (loosely organized cells that become osteoblasts, or cells that can form bone), cytokines (inflammatory mediators), and odontoclasts (cells that aid in the resorption of deciduous teeth roots). This layer of soft tissue plays a major role in helping the horse's body transition successfully from deciduous teeth to permanent dentine.
"The combined action of resorption of the deciduous tooth roots, development and eruption of permanent successors, and attrition of the clinical crown results in the shedding or exfoliation of a wafer of the deciduous tooth, often referred to as a cap," Easley explained.
"Deciduous premolar caps close to natural exfoliation should: 1) be digitally loose; 2) have partial loss of the crown; or 3) have a palpable demarcation noted on the lingual (tongue) or palatal (the palate, or middle part of the roof of the mouth) aspect of the clinical crown with little or no gingival attachment to the remainder of the cap," Easley noted, adding that malodor often arises as the teeth draw near to shedding.
Easley reported veterinarians often encounter eruption pseudocysts--bony enlargements located on the lower jaw or the upper cheek bone--when dealing with juvenile teeth.
"These pseudocysts (or eruption bumps) normally result from erupting permanent premolars and are most prominent in 3- and 4-year-old horses," he said, adding that the growths generally regress and disappear within a year or so.
Maleruption in Juvenile Horses
Easley reviewed several types of maleruption (eruption of a tooth out of its normal position) juvenile horses can face when their permanent teeth develop.
Worn Deciduous Teeth Crowns--When the crowns of deciduous teeth become worn, they loosen to the point they are displaced or shed into the horse's mouth. Easley noted these worn caps and their aftereffects are often associated with gingivitis or periodontal disease.
Retained Deciduous Incisors--As the name suggests, this occurs when one or more incisor does not shed as the permanent teeth arrive. Often, this abnormality is caused by "the permanent tooth erupting slightly (nearer the inside of the horse's mouth) to the deciduous, resulting in failure of the deciduous root to completely resorb."
Easley explained that retained deciduous incisors cause clinical signs including head tossing during eating, rubbing incisors on fixed objects, quidding (dropping chewed food from the mouth), and bitting problems. He noted that in some cases a narrow space can develop between the deciduous tooth and the permanent tooth, a precursor for periodontal disease in horses.
Loose incisor caps are often easily removed in standing horses, he said; however, some instances require sedation to successfully remove the cap.
Retained Premolar Caps--"Premolar caps can appear much like a table with four legs lying over the top of the permanent tooth," Easley said. Gingivitis and periodontal disease can result if the premolar cap's roots remain in the gum after the cap is shed, and it also predisposes horses to developing dental problems later in life.
Retained premolar caps can cause gingival irritation, dysmastication (abnormal chewing), anorexia, loss of appetite, and a predisposition to malocclusion (abnormal relationships between opposing teeth). Further, he explained, eruption bumps can result from the delayed eruption of permanent teeth, an occasional side effect of retained dentation.
Easley said these are primarily cosmetic problems; however, he warned that in some cases they can be caused by anachoretic pulpitis--a condition in which blood-borne bacteria become lodged within the pulp of the tooth, necessitating immediate treatment.
Easley noted that, similar to loose incisor caps, these caps can usually be removed easily.
Malocclusions--Several different types of malocclusion can affect juvenile horses as they shed their deciduous teeth, Easley noted. Permanent teeth can erupt misaligned with the rest of the teeth, spaces can develop between permanent teeth, and overcrowding can occur in young equine mouths.
In some cases of malocclusion (i.e., with asynchronous eruption of permanent teeth--permanent teeth in close proximity that erupt at different times) a veterinarian will recommend removing deciduous teeth.
"As a general rule in equine practice, if one cap has shed, the cap in the same position on the opposite side of the jaw should be evaluated and, if loose or close to exfoliation, it should be removed," he explained.
To Remove, or Not to Remove?
"The practice of methodically removing deciduous teeth at set ages results in premature removal in some horses," Easley noted.
In cases like these, when the deciduous teeth are removed prematurely, the dental sac covering the underlying permanent tooth is exposed and quickly destroyed by mastication, Easley said. This leads to loss of blood supply to the chewing surface, where active cement deposition might still be occurring, he added, which can result in conditions that predispose the animal to the development of caries (cavities) later in life.
For these reasons most veterinarians opt to let healthy deciduous teeth shed on their own.
Take-Home Message
Although many horses' deciduous teeth shed without incidence, there are times when maleruptions, retentions, or malocclusions develop in the juvenile mouth. In these cases, a veterinarian familiar with equine dentition is the best resource for keeping a young horse on the road to life-long health and wellness."
Source: http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=18986&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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