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Business & Tech

Hope Reins in Crystal Lake

Area equine therapies cater to special needs individuals and family counseling patients.

President Ronald Reagan has been quoted as saying that there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse. An avid horseback rider, he had plenty of opportunity to know a bit about the benefits of the horse — be it for sport or for the unique relationship between horses and humans. 

The medical community has recognized the value of equine therapy for decades, and many consider it superior to other animal-based therapies due to the distinct characteristics of the horse. 

Dr. Douglas Neal, a psychologist, has teamed with colleague Debra Hirschberg, a licensed clinical social worker certified in equine therapy, to put this theory to the test.

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He has invited his patients to participate in Hirschberg’s Hope Reins, an equine therapy program at White Oak Acres arena in Burlington.

Neal has been practicing psychology for 31 years, specializing in family, individual and marriage counseling and the treatment of attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. 

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Neal said the equine therapy as an adjunct to his neo-psychological specialties has produced impressive results in his patients. Insurance often covers the cost of the therapy. 

“It is so powerful the information we can pull from it,” he said. “People can spend a long time in the office, then when they go to the arena, they get an ‘ah-ha’ moment.” 

The therapy also produces a calming effect on his ADHD patients, who may be impulsive and anxious. The therapy does not mean these individuals will be able to give up their medication, however.

What Neal has found by incorporating equine therapy in his work is that often, the crux of a problem taking many months of traditional therapy to address can be realized in just one equine session.

Clients who opt for the equine therapy at Hope Reins perform tasks with the horse of their choice under the supervision of Hirschberg and other therapists and assistants. 

Unlike other equine therapies, clients don’t ride the horses but work with them on the ground. A family may be asked to work together to encourage a horse to go over a jump without touching it, and in the process may uncover the dynamics of their familial relationship.

“That’s something the family carries with them — what worked in the arena,” Hirschberg said. “So then they have an experience of success.” 

Neal and Hirschberg also can learn much about a patient by the way the horse reacts to him or her.

Horses have highly developed senses as they are prey animals, Hirschberg said. Those qualities make them ideal candidates for picking up nonverbal cues from animals and people around them and reacting in visible ways, such as ear movements. 

Horses also are naturally inclined to live in groups under the direction of a leader, and horses look to others for that leadership in the arena, when it comes to following orders to carry out tasks.

Both qualities are scrutinized by Hirschberg during the observation process. There may be a discussion in the arena with the clients about what has occurred, or Hirschberg's observations are passed on to Neal who goes over the information with his clients in the office.

Team-Building Application, Too

Hirschberg also offers corporate team-building exercises to the business community through Hope Reins.

Dr. Kathy Miller, dean for the School of Education at Judson University in Elgin, recently undertook such a team-building exercise with eight colleagues before taking on the task of revamping the university’s teacher education programs. 

She said the experience gave participants new perspectives, providing new and different ways to connect to each other in the decision-making process and working as a team. 

“Watching how the animals related to one another in different situations gives you a link to yourself,” she said. “We learned not to make assumptions, to keep an open mind. From my perspective, I really enjoyed it.”

White Oaks Acres is a privately owned horse farm dedicated to equine therapy, and is owned and operated by Kristine Pienkowski. The facility has an indoor and outdoor arena for therapy work utilizing six horses.

Check back Friday on Crystal Lake Patch for more on equine therapy, where we feature Main Stay.

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