THE HORSE WHISPERERS

The horses have been used as a means of transportation for centuries. With the invention of automobile, they have ceased to be the first assistants of people. Nevertheless, today there are many people, who are not indifferent to horses. They are attractive due to their nobility, kindness, and loyalty to their owners. History remembers many cases when a faithful horse saves its owner from death by sacrificing itself. It is suffice to mention Alexander the Great, who founded a city on the site where his beloved horse, Bucephalus, died trying to save the life of his owner.

At the same time, horses have a special healing power. Communication with these kind and clever animals helps to relieve stress and anxiety. Horse riding is one of the best ways to enjoy the unity with the nature after routine everyday hassle of the city life. Necessary skills of horse management help to increase self-confidence and self-esteem of a person.

The healing properties of horses are brightly demonstrated in The Horse Whisperer, an American film directed by Robert Redford. It is about treating physical and mental wounds of an underage rider and her horse, as well as the surrounding characters.

Indeed, The Horse Whisperer is an interesting story about horse riding, and the relationship between a man and a horse. It turns out that we have in Azerbaijan people very similar to the main character of the movie.

Energetics of horses

Hippotherapy, or equine-assisted therapy, is a range of treatments to cure some diseases with horses. It was first mentioned in the writings of the Greek physician Hippocrates. The famous French philosopher of the 18^th century Denis Diderot wrote in his treatise “On riding and its meaning in order to maintain and regain the health”: “Among the exercises, the first place belongs to horse riding. It can help to cure many diseases but it can also prevent them as soon as they occur.”

This project is known in our country since 1997, when the therapist Tahir Aghayev developed a rehabilitation project for the hippotherapy health center. This project had run successfully for a number of years until the untimely death of Aghayev. The majority of his patients were people with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, the victims of trauma, children suffering from cerebral palsy, autism, the Down syndrome, etc., as well as people exposed to consequences of stress. Hippotherapy is also recommended for children with malfunction of social relations.

This project is still running in our country. Baku Elite Horse & Polo Club under the Equestrian Federation of Azerbaijan, located in the suburban village of Bina, continues the development of the system and its implementation. As we were told at the Polo Club, it is open to both adults and children. On weekends, children and parents come in groups. An experienced instructor of the Club supervises the treatment procedures.

The club has started providing hippotherapy sessions for children suffering from cerebral palsy, as well as children with disabilities. All procedures are free of charge!

In general, the horses always have beneficial effects on human health. Apart from the purely utilitarian benefits expressed in their beautiful and trimmed posture, horses have a unique energetics, which they are eager to share with people. When riding a horse, many muscle groups start working, the movements are coordinated, which is generally beneficial for human health.

As for hippotherapy as part of the rehabilitation process, the course of treatment is monitored by the attending physician - neurologist, rehabilitator, psychiatrist, as well as specialists in social adaptation. Neurologist Kerima Kerimova says: “The positive effect of hippotherapy is achieved by communicating with animals, taking care of them. The human-animal contact is not the same as the contacts between people”. In general, hippotherapy is a combination body-oriented and cognitive technique. You must be able to maintain the balance and to coordinate horse movements in order to manage riding the horse, controlling it, and changing its pace. So, your muscles start working, which is rarely the case in everyday life. This is particularly useful for patients with cerebral palsy. Surprisingly though, the riding also promotes fine motor skills that positively effect mental development, as generally it is the fine motor skills that are responsible for the development of speech, cognitive and communication skills. Above all, riding and socializing with horses harmonize the perception of the world and encourage interaction.

In contact with a horse

According to the specialist of Club, the first step for any child, not only those in need of hippotherapy, is establishing the first contact through love. A child is trusted with getting acquaintance with the horse, sometimes to feed and clean it. Once the contact is established, he or she advances to the training process.

The results of hippotherapy are noticeable almost after the first activities. Children with autism and Down syndrome learn to focus attention, forget about fear, learn to interact, do not avoid contact and communication, can approach and even hug the horse.

The closed arena of Polo Club allows holding trainings at any weather conditions, although the horse riding is still a seasonal activity. However, you can also ride in cold weather. No need to be afraid freezing, as the thick hair and body heat of horses heat the best.

Trained horses are most suitable for hippotherapy since all customers can safely treat them. Usually children, even with disabilities, are quite friendly to their four-legged friends. In any case, a preliminary conversation held with children helps them not be afraid of horses. An instructor and a person familiar with child attend every riding session. A special training program has been developed for such children. For children with cerebral palsy, there is a set of light activities with minimal pressure on their body. All physical loads are determined and monitored by a physician, who determines the training style, controls the dynamics of activities and identifies the next level of training. Horse riding is useful not only for children with disabilities but also for all people. The ability to direct the horse, to control it is perfectly suitable for character development. Such activities help children be well-tempered and confident in achieving goals.

Although hippotherapy classes are currently free of charge, the club has made a decision to organize this process systematically, transforming it from a set of disparate acts into a major project involving professionals. “We need sponsors, funding, as we cannot manage the process this way. We provide the horses, trainers, but we still need mandatory safety equipment, as well as transportation means and food for the children. Also, we are thinking of a special system of incentives for such children like awarding them with balloons or stationary for each successful lesson. Along with financing, we also need companies, which are ready to support our initiatives. It is not just a question of financing, but also a social responsibility”, says our expert.

In addition, the club regularly holds activities such as the Children's Day event held a few months ago. When the project runs in full, the Club will be able to hold training sessions for 20 children each day. Each child will have a unique medical record maintained by specialists. It is also planned to invite a specialist from Ukraine. In the first month, you need to undergo a medical examination, to complete medical records of children and obtain statistics of the rehabilitation program. The experts should prepare training instructors, who will specifically work with children with cerebral palsy and traumas, to ensure the most effective training.

Various children’s centers are involved in the project. Non-governmental organization UAFA (United Aid for Azerbaijan) had brought children in need of hippotherapy several times. Thanks to their initiative, a five-hour festival dedicated to the International Children's Day was held in Polo Club. The event was also attended by the children from the orphanage located in Saray village and children in need of special care. In general, it is planned to involve orphans, destitute and homeless children in the project. We wish them success in this highly demanded and noble deed.