With a gentle sniff, kind eyes and flicker of her fuzzy ears, Fanny香蕉视频直播檚 calm, inquisitive demeanour is infectious.
Fanny, a bay Shetland pony, is one of four equine participants in this Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) session at Heart Lake Farm near Victoria. She香蕉视频直播檚 led through a small obstacle course by her two handlers, who provide ample affection after she calmly follows their directions over the poles.
A partnership between the Victoria Brain Injury Society, Central Saanich香蕉视频直播檚 Heart Lake Farm and Humbles Hooves 香蕉视频直播� a Cobble Hill-based horse wellness and therapy rescue farm 香蕉视频直播� EAL is a non-riding life skills program rooted in the healing power of equine connection.
Participants 香蕉视频直播� brain injury survivors and their family, friends and supporters 香蕉视频直播� are invited to work in teams of two, with one horse or pony, to tackle different activities.
香蕉视频直播淚 think horses have a very unique way of communicating,香蕉视频直播� says Tammera Merkins, Humble Hooves owner and operator. 香蕉视频直播淏ecause they香蕉视频直播檙e prey animals, they mirror what香蕉视频直播檚 going on around them, and so they kind of ask humans to show up in a certain way 香蕉视频直播� to be calm, or have leadership.香蕉视频直播�
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| Joan Davy grooms Misty the pony during a Humble Hooves Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) session at Heart Lake Farm March 8. (Nina Grossman/News Staff) |
Merkins says participants have reported feeling a sense of calm from the horses and have grown more confident being around them.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e seeing these skills they香蕉视频直播檙e learning here in the arena transfer over into their everyday lives.香蕉视频直播�
While grooming a horse named Gina, participant Joan Davy says that since her brain injury, light, sounds and sights can become overwhelming.
香蕉视频直播淥ften with brain injury, words are 香蕉视频直播� too much and so (I香蕉视频直播檓) learning to be with a being that is more about reading gestures and responses,香蕉视频直播� Davy says. 香蕉视频直播淭hey are very sweet.香蕉视频直播�
She says isolation has been the norm for her 香蕉视频直播� long before COVID-19.
香蕉视频直播淪o I香蕉视频直播檓 really grateful to have a new experience and probably the only social experience in months and months and months,香蕉视频直播� she says.
The session is the last in a series of workshops, but a 10-week program begins in April, available only to clients of the Victoria Brain Injury Society.
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| Brain injury survivors and their families partner up for an Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) session at Heart Lake Farm. Operated by Humble Hooves, the program encourages communication and connection for participants. (Nina Grossman/News Staff) |
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