AUGUST 2021 THE RIDER /13 Horses to Boost Well-being as Pandemic Subsides


Greely, ON - After a year and a half of lockdowns and isola- tion, the Therapeutic Riding Association of Ottawa-Car- leton (TROtt) has rolled out a new equine program to boost well-being. The new program, called “Horse Connections,” invites its clients to interact with horses in sessions tailored to build trust and provide a sense of inner strength and presence, without the pressure of riding the horses. Horse Connections is


based on the foundations of Equine-Assisted


Learning


(EAL), an experiential learning approach focused on further developing and practising es- sential life skills like team- building,


leadership, and


communication through horse- human exercises. There is no riding in EAL, just working through exercises on the ground with your human-horse team and a certified EAL facil- itator.


“Horses are incredibly


powerful teachers and we can learn so much from working alongside them. Horses look for leadership and share many parallels to humans, like the need for trust and respect as es- sentials to building strong rela- tionships. Horses can be intimidating, and at a thousand plus pounds each, they do merit respect! Yet they are also gentle creatures, highly sensi- tive to our emotions and en- ergy. In their presence, we can learn a lot about how we ‘show up’ and interact with others,” said Megan Malone, TROtt’s Certified EAL Facilitator. Like spending time with


dogs or cats, Megan explained that spending time with horses can be equally if not more ther- apeutic and rewarding. The bond one feels with smaller an- imals seems amplified in the presence of horses. TROtt was originally


founded in 1975 as the “Green-


belt Riding Association for the Dis- abled.” Ottawa’s only CanTRA-certified therapeutic riding program, TROtt de- pends on the assistance of more than 100 volunteers and generous donors to sub- sidize the costs of caring for its herd of 12 horses, lodged at Equidae Stables in Greely, south of Ottawa. Horse Connections was designed


with frontline workers in mind, but is open to anyone interested, space permit- ting. Enquiries to participate may be di- rected


to Megan Malone 613-821-1844, or at ealtrott@gmail.com.


Photo Right: Certified EAL instructor Megan Malone (tan pants) and TROtt’s Operations Manager, Fiona Kearney.


at


Pro Treats for Cancer


Charlie with a TROtt member. Photo credit to Megan Malone


Jessica Phoenix and McIntosh Pro Line are pleased to announce that


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Ontario’s Horse Industry Newspaper!


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$1.00 of every bag sold goes to Cancer Research


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