Animal Assisted Therapy: Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)

Prof Dr Muhammad Riaz Virk 
Institute of Animal & Dairy Sciences, FAH, UAF – 38040

Animal Assisted Therapy & Stress Management: The beneficial relationship between humans and animals can be utilized for therapeutic purposes. Social stressors predispose people to cardiovascular diseases. Over the past 50 years, biomedical research has established a strong linkage between psychological stress and disease risk in Human beings, which has transformed the understanding of stress and the role it plays in Human lives.  In the Human literature, extensive research has determined that social factors play a key role in mediating disease risk. For instance, people with larger social networks, more social support, and higher socio-economic status have a lower disease risk compared to those with weaker social structures. Social factors that are thought to cause stress (social stressors) predispose people to non-specific, negative health outcomes like cardiovascular diseases, the common cold, and mortality. Although reducing social stress at all ages of life is important early age is much susceptible, social skill development can aid the resilience and ability to avoid prolonged aggressive encounters with social stressors in adulthood. Through the relationship with the animals, children can learn how to care for another being which in turn has the potential to increase their self-esteem and ability to navigate their social environment effectively. The beneficial relationship between humans and animals can be utilized for therapeutic purposes as well. Numerous authors have found varying benefits including teaching independence, improved social behavior, learning non-verbal communication, decreasing blood pressure, increasing self-esteem, etc. 

Animal Assisted Therapy: In recent years, the AAT programs include horses, known as Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) and hypnotherapy. EAT is also AAT which includes a client (rider), a horse, and a licensed mental health professional (psychotherapist). Hypnotherapy is a subset of EAT that is more focused on the physical benefits of riding and is used for occupational therapy and rehabilitation. 

Equine-assisted therapy (EAT): EAT, like AAT, has several specific benefits for the participants. Animals, including the horse, through AAT help to support the child in the beginning stages of forming a relationship with the animals. Additionally, through the relationship with the AAT animals, children learn how to care for another being which in turn has the potential to increase their self-esteem. Numerous authors have found varying benefits including teaching independence, improved social behavior, learning non-verbal communication, decreasing blood pressure, increasing self-esteem, etc. 

The EAT program can therefore be mutually beneficial by giving the students a valuable program with benefits directly targeted to the population through EAT sessions with an accompanying evaluation strategy that would produce quality data for the field of EAT and AAT. The specific benefits that this program aims to improve self-concept, and ability to judge and react in social situations in addition to physiological and mental well-being. 

Background: The horse and the human always had a meaningful relationship and because of this companionship humans often consider their horse to be a noble companion due to the horse’s characteristics of grace, power, and beauty. Those humans who live with and rely on horses often feel as though their horse truly understands their thoughts, feelings, and needs. Through this relationship, humans appear to improve their self-concept, and mental as well as physical health and feel more dignified. The horse appears to have the ability to communicate with humans through subtlety and nonverbal expression. Horses have been found to show affection and unconditional love due to nonjudgmental and overtly tolerant of their human companions. They can know each human companion through that person’s voice and can verbal and nonverbal communication. AAT has been shown effective with emotionally disturbed children, depressed college-age students, urban youth with social and behavioral difficulties, cardiac patients, and psychiatric patients in a variety of ways, specific to each of the mentioned populations. 

Adolescent:  Cardiac patients feel relaxation by decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Therapeutic animals can reduce the person’s anxiety level which then provides an atmosphere that is conducive to emotional and psychological growth.

Children: For children with social and behavioral difficulties AAT has the potential to improve attention and the child’s ability to communicate. Children with emotional disturbances improve their self-concept, ability to pay attention in class, and social skills. Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) achieve higher levels of attention and overall engagement with the therapist in AAT sessions. An animal’s presence during a therapy session helps to create a calming effect which improves overall mood. 

Bond development: The course participant must learn the fundamentals of building relationshiprelationships with the animals. The humans that work with horses learn how to speak slowly, in a calming and direct way because of their sensitive feeling of hearing or touch. Participants learn the fine art to communicate with horses tactilely and to handle them delicately, despite their substantial size as every little movement or moment of pressure means something to the horse. Through both voice and tactile commands, a human can learn how to ask their horse to go through the various stages of riding and would be able to produce the effect they desire on horseback. Through this love, affection, tolerance, and communication, a bond is created that has a significant impact on humans to form bonds with other animals and even other humans.

Program: Proper learning for effective communication and building trust in a relationship with a horse. The beginner who is too eager for a relationship with their horse will quickly learn that the horse needs time and investment before they can form a trusting relationship with a human companion. This may achieve specific goals of physical and mental well-being. 

Horse riding: Horse riding is a sport of skill and Gallantry. This is a fun relationship between a human being and an animal. Horses have established a special relationship with human beings long before their settlements. Civilizations had relied on horses for the conveyance and speedy transportation of goods hence, remained a symbol of prestige, dignity, and honor. The need for the art of riding and training horses has been realized long before in the history for the described benefits. For our safety, it is vital to learn to ride properly. 

Learning the art of riding: Riding is based on the open air and freedom. Proper learning to ride forms your future ability and pleasure in sports. Untrained riders can cause a great deal of pain and fatigue to horses due to poor riding, ignorance, and abuse. The applications of proper riding were not only in transportation and warfare, but it also developed as a sport. Horseracing, jumping, and polo have been the weekend sports of the day. 

Real pleasure in riding: If someone is interested in enjoying the beaches, the downs, mountains, trails, and other equestrian games in the company of one of the most generous creatures on this earth then we must respect the art of riding with due knowledge of horse’s welfare.  Sufficient knowledge to develop an understanding the horse husbandry and saddlery for beneficial usage is the foundation of riding. It is always better to follow a planned course for correct riding than to be a dashing hero in one month and a danger to himself, the horse, or everybody on the way. Recreation and entertainment: Animals are a good source of recreation in rural and urban areas. They are used for races, exhibitions, games, tent pegging, and polo. They are also raised as pet animals. They are also used as companions and watching, guarding, and guiding the blinds.