Horses as therapy animal

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When we think of animals helping with therapy we think of dogs, we usually don’t usually picture such a large animal helping with small children with disabilities or soldiers coming home from overseas with ptsd. Well it has become quite common for these large animals to be helping these people with their problems. “psychological benefits of working with horses are being recognised by growing numbers of therapists who work with autistic children, young people with behavioural problems, adults with depression or celebrities with addictions.”  After horses are known to be gentle giants when they are trained properly. When they help with problems they are well trained and won’t try to do anything that the person wouldn’t really like. In the article “Not just horsing around..psychologists put their faith in equine therapies” by Tracy Mcveigh, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/feb/26/horses-therapists-stress-autism-addiction. She talks alot about how these big animals help many people suffering from autism ptsd and addiction. She is reliable because she is the chief reporter for the observer and has covered many stories around the world. Horses are good for therapy considering when you ride them they reflect your emotions and will feel what you feel.  "The horse is the perfect mirror, they are very emotional beings; we're only starting to realise how intelligent they are,"  Horses will react to your emotions as well as their own, so when coming near them be gentle and caring also don’t be scared they can sense fear.  “ As a herd animal attuned to stress and body language, a horse will move away from an angry person, follow someone it trusts and be unsettled when it senses fear.” See from my experience with horses, i’ve learned to not fear them and it has become easier for both me and the horse i’m intending to ride, if you're going to ride a horse the best thing to do is approach the animal in a very calm manner so that it does run off and get scared of you.

How owning a horse can help children

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Every little girl’s dream is to have a pony right? at least that’s what i wanted when i was little and i know a few other who did as well. The answer to the typical “daddy can i have a pony?” question is usually no you can not get a pony, well if you think about it and put it in perspective getting your child a pony when they are young helps with many things. instead of paying for sports or other activities just to find out that your child does not like them or is just not interested is very costly and can weigh down the pocket book. i’m not saying owning a horse can’t do that, which in reality it does do that but it’s better than paying for the clubs and whatnot especially since it teaches the child responsibility and how to be selfless. As the child gets older they want to be with friends and party and have fun possibly getting themselves into trouble “You have to give up a lot of your social life. You can’t go out and party if you have a 6 a.m. horse show.”  well, with a horse you have to care for it on a daily basis you can leave a few things for the barn to do like feed and whatnot but it does need exercise and you are the one providing that for them; especially if you do competitions with your horse you may have a show to go to the next morning so partying is not an option for you.

average cost of horse care

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When you think of horses you think of fun and riding but you don’t think of the cost to own one itself. Essentially the cost can be split in three sections, board, vet costs,and riding and bedding equipment. Let’s start with the first one, board, it is basically the amount you pay in order to keep your horse in a barn plus feeding and mucking out the stall. “the cost of boarding averages $400 to $500 per month but can go as high as $1,200 to$2,500 in metropolitan areas.” It costs quite a lot a month to keep a horse somewhere. I know for my horse we pay about $850 a month to keep her in our barn. Pam Goldberg Smith is the author of the article “the average monthly cost of owning a horse” she is reliable because she has worked with horses for years and owns her own horse.

On to the next one, vet costs,  if you think about it a horse requires a lot of maintenance in order to keep it healthy they are animals after all they get sick just like humans do. “A yearly veterinary visit includes teeth cleaning or floating and vaccinations; deworming is generally done every other month. this can cost anywhere from $77 to $250 depending on location.tack on $35 to $75 fee if the veterinarian comes to your property or boarding facility, plus mileage if notif it’s not within reasonable traveling distance.” The cost for the vet seems really small compared to board but in reality the money starts to add up when you are constantly paying for both of them. From my own experience since my horse is currently sick we are paying about $150 a month for the vet to come out and give a diagnosis and another treatment option if possible.

Last but not least riding and bedding equipment. You can typically either get new or used riding equipment,  for bedding i wouldn’t suggest getting used bedding because it’s not healthy for the horse. “A saddle and pad, halter, bit, bridle and lead. A new set costs thousands of dollars and last five to ten years; that breaks down to $200 a month.” so for a new set of riding equipment it would cost you quick a lot of money but it would last longer than a used one would. As far as bedding goes many other costs are tied into it. “Providing bedding, maintaining pasture fences and paying for utilities will average about $300 per month. Moving your horse requires a trailer, which can range from $1,500 for a used trailer or $50,000 for a top-of-the-line model.” So overall your best bet is to buy used in order to save your money on a trailer if anything you can always fix it up and renovate it to make it better.

Horse care

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Overall research question: 

• How does owning a horse affect a middle class family?

Sub questions: 

• Does it maximize someone’s utility?

• What are the components of horse care?

• How much do you spend a year on the up keep for a horse?
• How long does a horse live for?

Databases: Proquest.com Encyclopedia britannica

Websites: dogpile.com google.com wikipedia.com