SPECIAL SPIRIT PROGRAMS
EQUINE & ANIMAL ASSISTED SERVICES
EQUINE & ANIMAL ASSISTED
THERAPY SERVICES
For more information and to schedule an appointment, please contact us at (323) 661-3090.
RECOVERY AT THE RANCH
Recovery at the Ranch is an AA program at Special Spirit Ranch for those participating in alcohol and drug addiction, rehabilitation and recovery, this program uses the healing power of horses. This half-day program emphasizes the ranch’s Power Tools for Living motto: Respect, Responsibility, Relationship Skills, Boundaries, Empathy, Choices, and Consequences.
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE & AUTHENTIC PARTNERSHIP
CHALLENGE YOURSELF. FIND YOUR STRENGTHS.
Special Spirit Equine Assisted Therapy Programs are not about horsemanship or riding skills. It is experiencing a unique and authentic partnership while challenging yourself to honestly assess your life, find your strengths and problem solve your struggles. No prior horse experience is necessary.
A therapist is required for all therapy sessions.
You will be engaged in on-the-ground, interactive and experiential equine activities to:
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Grow your self-confidence
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Develop stronger boundaries (learn how to say no and mean it!)
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Increase your communication efficiency
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Uncover unproductive patterns
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Build trust in yourself and others
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Become a better leader
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Become a team player
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Highlight your strengths
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Overcome challenges and fears
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Increase your problem solving skills
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Build empathy toward others
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Improve your social skills
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Respect yourself and others
WHAT ARE EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING ACTIVITES?
Equine Assisted Learning partners horses and humans in specifically designed ground activities to foster emotional growth and personal development.
EAL provides a unique experiential learning environment to develop and enhance life skills. Participants learn about themselves while participating in specifically designed activities with horses that require the application of certain skills, such as problem solving, assertiveness, and relationship skills. EAL emphasizes the impact of non-verbal communication by using the relationship between humans and horses. Horses are prey animals and due to their natural instincts, they respond honestly to how a person presents himself, both physically and emotionally, and provide immediate feedback. They react to the environment and energy through non-verbal communication, creating an opportunity for us to understand what we are actually communicating, instead of what we think we’re communicating. Horses are very effective in creating a rich learning environment. Their heightened sensitivity, instant feedback and ability to mirror our emotions create opportunities to increase our awareness, congruency and effective use of non-verbal skills.
Another reason that horses are used in EAL is that their mere presence, size and power make us aware and can bring an array of emotions to the surface, oftentimes creating an opportunity for individuals to overcome fear and process frustration.
Completing a task despite these fears and emotions builds confidence and provides metaphors for working with other challenging and intimidating situations. Horses are social animals and, like humans, have distinct personalities, moods and behaviors. The activities are designed to provide opportunities for the participants to explore how they move through life, how they react and respond to challenges and how they are perceived by others. Horses are non-judgmental and don’t lie. If a participant is not congruent with her feelings and actions, the horse will call her out, seeing below the surface presentation and reacting to her authentic emotions. Participants process their feelings in the moment with facilitators while doing the activity, and will take the experience home to reflect on their patterns of behavior and new skills learned. The horses frequently teach us that when we change our approach we can achieve a different outcome. EAL is facilitated by a certified equine specialist and a licensed clinical therapist. EAL has been proven effective in developing and enhancing life skills, such as assertiveness, boundary recognition, communication, confidence, creative thinking, problem solving and effective social interaction.