A horse-riding school in Australia is using cows as animal therapy to help people of all ages. This new type of mental health service is growing rapidly in Australia, but psychologists say national guidelines are necessary for the safety of both humans and animals.
Karl McKeown is from Melbourne, Australia. He was born with cerebral palsy and scoliosis and four years ago he suffered a brain aneurysm. Coming to the Euroa Horse Park in Victoria is helping him recover by taking part in animal-assisted therapy.
“And it does make you think, you have to slow down. They don’t come up to your speed, you’ve got to go back to theirs and it does give you a whole new focus,” says McKeown. “And they become more aware of their body language, their communication, and the trust and respect grows,” explains Vanessa Hawkins of Euroa Horse Park.
Animal-assisted therapy participants say they can feel real mental and physical improvements from being in the presence of animals, but health experts are still on the fence as to the therapy’s clinical benefits.
This sector is growing very fast in Australia and psychologists say there’s an urgent need for national guidelines and regulatory boards.
“The field is really in its infancy, and a lot more research is needed,” says Professor Sue Cotton of Orygen Youth Mental Health. “There are a number of countries in Europe that already have legislation in place that stipulates how many hours of training and that sort of thing,” says psychologist Melanie Jones.
To help regulate this emerging sector, Wendy Coombe started a non-profit organization.
“I think therapy animal, or animal-assisted therapy, has been used across a range of different services that do not always include a therapist,” says Animal Therapies Limited director Wendy Coombe.
Experts say people who are considering using this kind of therapy should do their research on the service provider and also ask for guidance from bodies such as the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
“It’s on us to actually be really, really clear if we are providing therapeutic services so that vulnerable people in the community don’t become misled,” says Jones.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.