And they’re off! But not to the races. These retired racehorses have an exciting new role—that doesn’t involve being let out to pasture. A new medical development involves retraining racehorses to be therapy horses.
Most racehorses retire from competition after only three or four years. Sue Molloy works at the National Horse Racing Museum in England. “Racehorses . . . really don’t want to be just standing around in fields for the next 20, 30 years. And they’re so versatile. I really believe there’s a job for 99 percent of them.”
It turns out that the retired animals are particularly well-suited to serve in a redemptive way: They can help people heal from mental and emotional pain.
In 2013, Mary Poupon entered an arena with horses to train in horse therapy. Poupon is a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She was skeptical at the time. How could horses help her patients with their mental health?
She felt a push at the back of her head. “I looked up and standing above me was a 1,200-pound horse . . . about six feet tall, looking into my eyes. At that moment, I felt that he could feel that I had an attitude.”
Poupon learned that horses have an ability to tune in to people and their feelings. Coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, and bears prey on wild horses. Equines have learned to be on high alert for any threat.
A horse that feels afraid will react with a “fight or flight” response. It wants to defend itself or flee. Horses that can’t run from what scares them will often bite or kick.
People can act the same when they are anxious. They might retreat or shut down. (That’s “flight” mode.) Frightened people also can resort to anger, lashing out with words or actions. (That’s “fight” mode.)
Horses are not meant to be solitary animals. They stay in herds for support and safety. In the same way, people thrive in relationships with family and friends.
Because people have these characteristics in common with horses, a therapy horse is ideal for helping people regulate anxiety. Veterans and others who have been through trauma, people with disabilities, and those wrestling with mental health challenges all can benefit.
In horse therapy, patients mostly feed, clean, and walk beside horses. Therapists and equine experts watch how patients and animals respond to each other.
Therapy horses mirror what people feel. A patient who wants to win the trust of a horse learns to be calm and relaxed—so the horse will be too. Just brushing a horse has proven to calm people’s bodies. Everybody wins!
Why? God has ordained that His creation is not only beautiful, but also has the capacity to help people recover from traumatic experiences.
1st comment, fyi I did not
1st comment, fyi I did not even read this article
Second
basically, instead of racehorses going out to pasture after they're past their prime (for a long time, 20 or 30 years) they're getting retrained to be therapy horses. Helping people with anxiety, etc, with therapy and making people feeling happier.
Which is really cool! I love horses, I used to ride one sometimes.
COOL!!!!
I know that horses are smart but Wow!!! therapy horses I know of but retired racehorses becoming therapy horses! Too cool!!!
Horses rule!
I take horseback riding and jump and canter. It is so much fun and I love being with the gentle giants.
I Love Horses
I love horses and yet ive only road one like twice but they are majestic beauties. I am glad they are doing something like this because like how cool is that and its going to help a ton of people
Therapy horses?
Therapy horses? Cool.
7th comment
That's great that they are training their horses to be therapy horses!! And, no surprise here, horses are way more smarter than people give them credit :)
@Above
I have known about horses becoming therapy horses! I think it is really awesome how horses, and other animals, can bond with humans to help them. I find it really neat. There was a horse therapy place in my town and I was going to volunteer, but they shut it down because they could get enough clients. The only thing I would worry about with a racehorse is them being skittish, especially in their younger years.