HORSES

I love horses.  I have always loved horses.  Everything about horses.  Yes, I do, I even love the smell.  A lot of girls, almost every girl growing up love ponies, there is just something about ponies.  And we don't really grow out of it.  Yes, we may discover boys, but eventually we realise; we really do probably prefer ponies.

Contact with any animals, but with horses in particular has been used for years as rehabilitation therapy for people with MS and other neurological disorders.  Conditions such as Anxiety; Autism; Depression; Dementia; and MS.  Indeed equine therapy dates back to the times when horses were used for therapeutic riding in ancient Greek literature. That is quite a long time ago.

Certainly being around an animal seems to provide a psychological and emotional boost, but there is the general benefit of just being out in the fresh air, that somehow appeals to your general sense of well-being and sense of calm and joy and, yes, happiness.

I think that horses were my 'first love'.  I say 'horses' but I mean 'ponies'.  I mean a Shetland pony, a Shetland pony called 'Magic' ... and he was. He was, he really was Magic and I loved him.

Horses seem to know.  To know if you are sad.  To know if you are unhappy.  To know if you are hurting.  To know if you are in pain.  To know if you have got carrots; or apples; or sugar lumps; or polo mints.  They just know.

Equine therapy, also known as Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT), is a treatment that includes equine activities and/or an equine environment in order to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth.  Equine Therapy can help the individual build confidence, self-efficiency, communication, trust, perspective, social skills.  Apparently horses have similar behaviors with humans, such as social and responsive behaviors, it is easy for the patients to create a connection with the horse.

I look forward; massively look forward to the time that I spend with horses.  I am very lucky to have friends with ponies, where I can go and get a cuddle and some support from my friend, but especially from the pony.  I don't even need to get on and ride, although I have found my hat, boot and jodhpurs ... so you never know, but just being around horses for me if such a joy, and, for me, just massively increases my happy.