E.S.S.A. - Equine Specific Sensory Aid

At home we call it simply -'hands on horses'- hence my email address of handsonhorses@btinternet.com

What is it then?

Northend Farmhouse is primarily a Care Home for Adults with Learning Disability, Terence is the Proprietor.

Julie is also a Registered Carer via Shared Lives Adult Placement Scheme to step in to cover for Terence as and when required and decided there must be a way that the horse and ponies at Northend Farmhouse Tofferton Stud could help enhance the lives of the residents. She is qualified in the following categories:- Learning Disability, Mental Health, Physical Health including Amputee and Acquired Brain Injury, Partially Sighted and Autismn.

ESSA is a simple set of exercises, which when performed with assistance, can greatly help the residents in their development as written in the letter to Central Horse News printed below. Basically, think of it as Riding for the Disabled but without the riding !

Here is the information printed by the CHN magazine in 2007 to make readers aware of ESSA :-

 
"Dear CHN,
 

 
"The British Horse Society embraces equine facilitated learning:-
 
 
The BHS is looking at ways to combine the unique talents and personality of horses with the opportunity to extend its work supporting the community in general."
 

 
Following news from the BHS, I would like to tell readers a bit about the work I do.
 

 
I am a great believer in the BHS system and hold the BHS Intemediate Stable Managers Certificate, the BHSAI and will be taking the BHS Intermediate Teaching Test this October. I have also enjoyed over 20 years as a British Dressage Judge and am on their list of Accredited Trainers. Throughout my equestrian career I have taught 'riders' but a chance meeting with my partner nine years ago led my teaching along a different path.
 

 
My partner is proprietor of a Residential Small Care Home. The clients are adults with a combination of Autismn, Schizophrenia, Acquired Brain Injury, Visual Imparement, Limb Amputee and Learning Disability and through the care home  I am now a registered carer with South Worcestershire Adult Placement Scheme but I have combined the conventional caring with my equestrian background.
 

 
Equine Facilitated Learning? I call my sessions 'Hands on Horses'. These sessions of Equine Specific Sensory Aid are simple tasks involving the horse on the ground, there is no mounted work, but the tasks undertaken help the client practise skills such as assertiveness, teamwork, non-verbal communication, development of hand to eye contact, body co-ordination and the general contact with a horse seems to increase attention span, memory and help develop speech. The warmth, smell and feel of a horse seems to flood the clients senses.
 

 
Just ask yourself how lovely it is to bury your face into your horse's mane and smell your horse when you haven't been near him in a while!
 

 
Unfortunately, I couldn't take a day off work to attend the seminar which the BHS ran on the 17th September, but I am sure it will have helped instructors to think outside the box and see a wonderful resource which can help people who for whatever reason cannot help themselves.
 

 
Competitive riding is a thrill and as an instructor its a challenge to help your pupil improve, but on a basic level, to help someone know the simple joy of being with horses can be so rewarding.This joy is something which many of us have the luxury of taking for granted.
 


Julie Davies-Bennetts
 
Malvern
 
Worcestershire"