As a rider, a parent or volunteer, you probably have seen most of the S.T.A.R.S. therapeutic riding horses and may even know many of their names. But many of our friends know little about what it takes to be a S.T.A.R.S. horse.
S.T.A.R.S. candidate, Chewy, takes a peek inside the office.
Animals are, by definition, unpredictable. Like humans, they have independent thoughts, emotions and reactions. The S.T.A.R.S. horses, while still animals, are the best of the best. We need to be able to rely on their patience and behavior and trust them to take care of their riders. So what does it take to be a S.T.A.R.S. horse?
The NARHA certified instructors at S.T.A.R.S. believe that therapy horses are born, not made. Some horses have the desired temperament and personality ingrained, and others will never be suitable therapy horses regardless of training. Most of the horses have been donated to the organization, but that doesn’t mean we take any horse offered. Each horse is put through an initial test and evaluation and must meet certain physical requirements as well as personality traits. If the horse in question seems to fit the bill, he/she is brought to S.T.A.R.S. for a minimum of 90 days of training and trial.
During this training time, horses are introduced to the herd in order to find his/her place in the pecking order and settle in with the team. After a week or so, the real work begins. The new horse will be worked in the small indoor arena (horses are naturally claustrophobic), spend time tied to the wall in arena and practice smooth and patient transitions through the ramp.
Once the horse passes this level of training, we progress to the next
S.T.A.R.S. candidate, Dusty, calmly accepts a balloon man tied to his neck.
level. As an instructor, I am often glad that few people witness the next phase of training as it is often quite silly and certainly witnesses would have the instructors committed. We mount and dismount the horse in unusual ways, ride him/her backwards, forwards, sideways and upside down in the dead-man’s carry. We subject our equine student to all types of toys, games, puzzles and activities and can be heard shrieking, laughing, screaming and singing to the horse in the loudest voice possible. We pat the horse in uncomfortable ways, pull tails, put our fingers in nostrils, down ears and blow bubbles in his/her face. In short, we do everything we can possibly think of to make the horse uncomfortable and inspire a reaction.
This type of training is not just for our amusement (although I admit it is often hysterical), it is for the safety of this horse’s potential clients. If a horse is going to negatively react to this type of stimuli, we want to be able to correct it and evaluate the appropriateness of the horse and his/her personality. We want the training to be far more intense than an actual therapeutic riding class in hopes that this horse never encounters stimuli he/she isn’t prepared for and can’t handle. If the horse passes the training, he/she is officially welcomed to S.T.A.R.S. If not, the horse is returned to the donor and the search continues for a more suitable match.
So the next time you are at the barn and with the horses, give him or her a little pat and thank him/her for his invaluable role in the therapy team. Remember, not only is this horse a kind, gentle and patient partner to a rider, but he or she has an equine Master’s degree in S.T.A.R.S. training!
Tagged as:
animal assisted,
business donation,
horse,
horse donation,
horse training,
horseback riding,
horses,
S.T.A.R.S.,
therapeutic riding,
therapeutic riding training,
TR
program just north of Sioux City, has been a place of renewal and rehabilitation for the past 27 years. Later this month, that story of therapeutic rehabilitation will be featured nationally, with the story of “Happy Bert.” “Happy Bert,” a nine year old thoroughbred gelding who began is life as a race horse in Kentucky. After 54 races in 5 years, he suffered an injury. Rather than euthanize an otherwise healthy animal, his owners began to look for a new life for the big grey horse. Bert was donated to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and began his training program at Walkill Corrections in Walkill, New York. As inmates learned to the trust and responsibilities of horse training, Bert learned to trust handlers, be ridden at a slower pace and carry beginning riders. From New York, Bert returned to Kentucky to look for a new life.
<=
