For thousands of years the connection between man and animal has proven to be effective in creating an emotional healing bond. This is especially so with dogs and recently we have witnessed an increase in the use of horses as a form of equine therapy for those with special needs.

There have been many people promoting equine therapy; one such is journalist and horse trainer Rupert Isaacson. Isaacson first used horses as a type of therapy for his own autistic child Rowan, and has since gone on to set up The Horse Boy Foundation in Texas. Rupert and his wife Kristin found that Rowan was not responding to conventional therapies. After discovering that horses could help Rowan, they began a journey that would change their lives and their approach to treating Rowan and other autistic and special needs children.

In a bid to help their son, the family embarked on a trip to Mongolia which yielded great results, but a year after the trip, Rowan began regressing. Eager to continue on this path, Rupert and Rowan embarked on a new journey going from the bushmen of Namibia to the coastal rainforests of Queensland, Australia and finally to the Navajo reservations of the American southwest. Rupert’s new book, The Long Ride Home, which documents their journey, is the sequel to his first book, international bestseller The Horse Boy.

PERSONALITY TYPE

Rupert’s introduction to autism came when Rowan was diagnosed with autism at two and a half years old. Like any parent, Rupert despaired over the diagnosis. However, after stumbling on a new way of approaching autism, he began to regard the condition in a different light.

“Autism is cool and shouldn’t be something that you are trying to cure, it is a personality type with challenges. Many people who have autism go on to have careers and form relationships. The number of children with autism has grown so greatly that we all know someone with it. To learn about it, and how equine therapy can help, will improve your quality of life.”

Isaacson describes how he discovered how helpful horses could be around those with special needs. “By pure accident, Rowan ran away from me and and got through the fence into our neighbour’s property, into his horse herd. At first I panicked as any parent would, but what I saw changed how I approached Rowan’s autism. It was extraordinary, Rowan was lying on his back among the horses, but instead of trampling on him, they backed off gently. Rowan seemed to have some affinity with the horses, in particular one mare call Betsy.

“Horses are social creatures and they have a great capacity for empathy,’’ Isaacson continued. “The best therapy horses tend to be dominant females, like Betsy.”

After Rowan’s first encounter with the horses, Rupert did what most would probably consider madness; he began riding with Rowan sitting in front of him in the saddle. He noticed that while riding, Rowan found some sort of mental and physical peace and it wasn’t long before he began to talk, to engage with his environment and other people.

“I observed that the horse and its movement were having a positive affect on how Rowan reacted, it was the key to opening Rowan’s mind to learning. As Betsy moved underneath him, Rowan began to use expressive language for the first time and soon afterwards began to master the basics of arithmetic and spelling and eventually more complex topics such as geometry, algebra, physics and chemistry.

“What I observed was that the more rhythmic Betsy’s movements were, the more they seemed to open Rowan up to learning. Rowan’s learning receptors have been engaged by the motion of the horse.’’

MONGOLIA

As Rowan showed much improvement, Rupert and his wife Kristin Neff took another bold step. In 2007 they decided to take a journey across Mongolia on horseback with Rowan, who was just a five-year-old, riding in the saddle with his father.  

The decision to travel to Mongolia was driven by something which happened in late 2004 when Isaacson, a human rights activist, brought a delegation of African bushmen from Botswana to the United Nations. “Some of the bushmen on that delegation were healers and they ‘worked’ on Rowan and got great results. A lot of his more obsessive behaviours fell away, so I followed my gut instinct.’’

The journey to Mongolia took the family from traditional healer to shamans, looking for healing, but they were soon to discover that it was only the first part of their passage.

For Rupert and Kristin, the trip was a success: “Rowan returned healed, not cured,’’ said Rupert. Rowan was still an autistic child, but there was a huge improvement and his verbal and writing skills improved dramatically. Best of all, Rowan began to make friends.

On their return from Mongolia, the Isaacson family started the Horse Boy Foundation to help make horses available to other children, autistic or not. The therapy is not solely for autistic children but is beneficial for children with any neuropsychiatric condition, which includes ADHD, anxiety and depression.

Central to the Horse Boy method, is the understanding of two hormones, oxytocin and cortisol and how they affect a child with autism and the ability to learn. What Rupert discovered was that the rocking motion of the horse, released oxytocin, a ‘feel good’ hormone.

Cortisol is the stress hormone that regulates our flight or fight response. It is what allows us to escape from a threat and stay safe, but it can also impair our ability to receive and retain new information. A Horse Boy learning environment increases oxytocin and decreases cortisol production.

For Isaacson another early observation proved to be a central part to therapy. Out of a classroom environment and being in a natural environment seemed to calm Rowan’s dysfunctions. “Horses are big, warm, and comforting and they smell good – a safe therapy environment, if you like. Taking a child out into nature, away from man-made stimuli, creates an optimum environment for the child to receive and retain information,’’ according to Isaacson.

SECURE ENVIROMENT

Riding with the child in the saddle has huge benefits, he explained: “First of all, riding with the child in front of you creates deep pressure when holding the child; it is a secure setting. When you are speaking to the child, it is a voice in their ear, not in their face.’’

The Horse Boy method also includes sensory work. Children often love to spend extended periods of time lying full length on the horse’s back.

Another part of the therapy is teaching a horse to perform tricks in response to a one syllable command. This has the effect of encouraging a child who is reluctant to speak.

“The ability to command the horse to do something gives the child a great sense of empowerment. Once they do, and they get a massive pay off in terms of the response of the horse, it can encourage them to try verbal commands in everyday situations,” Isaacson explained.

He is the first to admit that equine therapy is not accessible for every child but he has discovered that his methods can be translated into other forms of activities. “I have been asked by parents what they can do in their own home to continue the Horse Boy therapy. First of all I wouldn’t suggest taking a horse out and riding with your child in the saddle. I know I did it but I am an experienced horseman. To help parents we developed Horse Boy Learning. It is a six-stage programme, not involving horses, which anyone can do in their house or garden. This method is designed to help the child learn more effectively by creating an environment in which they can thrive and teaching them through their passions and motivations.’’

In Ireland Isaacson works closely with Childvision (National Education Centre for Blind Children) in Drumcondra and currently there are over 30 Horse Boy practitioners in Ireland.

Rupert Isaacson will give a talk on The Long Ride Home, on Friday, July 11th at 2.30 in the Maritime Hotel as part of the West Cork literary festival.