A few years ago our son Leo required Play Therapy sessions. We found an amazing therapist – Christa Boshoff – and he began his ‘play sessions’ with her on a weekly basis. He was suffering from separation anxiety when his sister, twelve years older than him, left home. We did not anticipate the impact it would have on him, even though we knew she was his favourite person in the world and celebrated their extraordinarily strong bond. But when she left to study in a town 6 hours away, he began feeling anxious when away from home, or us – his parents. Gradually he no longer wanted to go to school, and it was a battle leaving him there every morning. Big or electric storms made him particularly anxious – and if it were not for one teacher in his school who handled him with such loving skill – he would have been a train wreck every time. When a storm broke, I too would be filled with anxiety – knowing my son was battling at school. He also did not want to be left at birthday parties without either my husband or I staying with him, and was no longer comfortable at play dates.
Alas, finding a lovely Play Therapist – Christa, slowly things began changing for the better. Slowly Leo started to build confidence within himself again and became more comfortable with time spent away from us. She saw that he had developed some OCD behaviours – like lining up toy cars, or coloured pencils for instance – and explained that this was a way for his brain to feel safety with order. Over time this too rectified itself. However, one day Christa suggested a few Horse Therapy sessions (or Equine Therapy) – and this is where the real break-through happened. I had heard of this therapy but did not know very much about it. We trusted his therapist though and followed her lead.
We arrived at the farm and Christa took us to the pony he was going to spend time with. She then told me that I must wait in the car – just as we had been doing for the play therapy sessions. He was petrified to meet the horse – this was something new to him, but he trusted his ‘friend’ therapist and took her hand. There was no horse riding involved in these sessions – just interaction from the ground. When the session was over, Leo looked relaxed and pleased with himself. He said that he had enjoyed the horse and that he wanted to return next week. His therapist then told me that I had to participate in the next weeks’ session. She wanted to see the interaction between my son and I with a pony. Yikes – it felt like a test!
So the next week I accompanied him. We were working with a small white pony – kids size pony. She was lovely, docile, and gentle. We were told to brush her together and then we were asked to lead her through an obstacle course. The therapist explained later that she was seeing if my son and I are able to communicate effectively and work together. We passed that test! Whew! She then asked us to ask the pony to lift her hoof. She said a horse will only lift his/her hoof when they feel they can trust the human. My son went first and after a few seconds she lifted her hoof. It was then my turn. I leant my body into the pony’s shoulder, reached down and pulled slightly. The pony’s horse might as well have been cemented to the floor. It did not budge. I then closed my eyes and asked her with my mind to please lift her hoof. I told her silently that I would never hurt her and that she could trust me. After a few long moments, she lifted her hoof and to this day I cannot explain the overwhelming feeling that flooded through my body. I felt honoured, I felt at peace, I felt connected, and I even felt like I could have cried. Like a release of something. I don’t know if this was the feeling I was supposed to feel, but it was powerful and deeply private.
Now I have to expand this story, because the sweet white horse was not the only horse involved in this ‘horse therapy’ experience.
Here in Knysna where we live, a devastating fire swept through and knocked our town to its knees. It was a wildfire that got out of control fast and lasted over a month. The fire started on the 7th of June 2017, and in the first 4 days, as it swept across our part of the Garden Route, it destroyed over 15 000km, claimed 7 human lives and destroyed approximately 800 buildings. So much loss – but one particular event happened that pertains to this story.
The count of our wildlife and domestic animals affected by the fire was incalculable and beyond tragic. I tell you this because the horse farm on which the therapy sessions were held, was one of the farms affected, and there, lives one horse who through tragedy, became famous. His name is Cody – the brave.
During the blaze the owner of this farm had to make a difficult decision. The fire approached her farm so fast, that there was no time to wait for help to load all her horses into trailers to try get them safely away. She had to open the gates and let them run for their lives, into the plantations across the national road – where winds were in their favour. Tragically though, soon after they were released, the wind direction turned and not in favour of where the horses had fled. Very sadly many of her horses lost their lives that day, but one miraculously survived. For weeks, search parties went out into the wilderness, looking for the horses, just in case they were still alive. And for 16 days, one particular horse, named Cody (10 years old), was trying desperately to get back home – which he did – by himself. He was found trying to cross the national road, 100 metres away from his home. He was badly burnt on his face, and he was in very bad physical shape – but he was alive. His return became the joy in many people’s lives – especially his owners. Funds came flooding in from far and wide to help save Cody.
Here is an exert from The Gremlin, one of many articles written about Cody’s miraculous story:
“When Cody was spotted trying to cross back over the N2, 16 days after he had fled his home, onlookers mourned his coming fate. He was emaciated and badly burnt and had been without food or water for two weeks. His digestive system had shut down, and the injuries to his eyes meant that he could hardly see. Cody appeared to be blind and without hope.” – says Karen Rademeyer, Cody’s owner. http://thegremlin.co.za/knysna-news/wordpress/2018/11/05/cody-the-horse-recovering-well-after-surviving-knysna-fires/
“Thanks to the help and overwhelming support of many friends and strangers too, Cody has made a miraculous recovery. He has proven to the world that ANYONE has the capacity to heal from their trauma, no matter how severe, provided they are brave enough to find the help they need. Despite his scars, he is living a full life as a happy pony – a fine example to us all. His story of bravery, inspiration, and hope has touched the hearts of thousands of people throughout the world.” – says Rademeyer
Just over a year later he was in much better shape, thanks to all the medical intervention he had received, and the extraordinary love and dedication of his owner. I don’t know all of it, but I do know that he was having reconstructive surgery on his eyelids. When Leo and I met him, he wore sunglasses – apparently all day. His eyesight was affected, and so he had a shadow horse (I think her name was Summer), who had volunteered, at the time, to be his eyes, who stayed by his side to assist him where ever he went. (Aren’t animals just amazing!!!). Now the way we met Cody was rather special – and a big part of this story. Cody at the time was not a therapy horse (this came later); he was a horse in therapy if you will. He was left alone for most of the day and that is apparently how he liked it. In all the time from his return home during the fires, to the day we met him, he had received so much ‘prodding and poking’ from his medical treatments, that in between, he did not want to hang out much with humans he did not know… or so we were told… at that stage of his recovery anyway. Subsequently he is now a brand ambassador and active practitioner in an animal assisted psychotherapy programme called The Eden Empathy Initiative. His story made him a symbol of hope for anyone who had suffered tragedy. Cody now chooses when he wishes to interact with a child or a person needing his help… but when we met him, he was not quite there yet. This is what happened:
At the end of the first therapy session, Leo was standing at the edge of a fence with his therapist. Cody stood on the other side of the fence, but two whole wide fields away. His therapist – Christa – pointed to Cody in the distance and told my son the brave horses’ story. My son stood quietly watching him and then suddenly Cody lifted his head, looked directly at my son, and then slowly (without his shadow horse) made his way across the two fields until he was right next to my son – only a small wire fence separating them. Christa backed away and joined me, standing a good few metres away, leaving my son with Cody. We watched silently for a few minutes. Cody was grazing and Leo was watching. Then Leo turned away and re-joined us. Christa asked what he and Cody were saying to each other. My son replied: Cody told me to be brave, even when I am alone. Oh my word!!! Can you imagine what hearing this can do to a parent? It was so profound – and my son did not even comprehend why at the time. It was all very casual and normal for him!
But there is more. At the next session – the one I joined him on – Leo asked Christa if he could go see Cody again. He was with the rest of the herd some distance away (it’s a large farm). Christa agreed and asked me if I would like to join them. I said I would, but as we were walking up the long road toward the herd, I began feeling very anxious. I don’t know why. I figured that it was because I did not know the herd and they were many (at least 8 of them) and they were big. For some reason I felt that my son was very safe walking beside Christa, holding her hand, but that I was not the one that would protect him – even though I am his mother. I began hanging back. I was reprimanded slightly for it by Christa, told to walk with them, but my body would not obey. I was getting more and more anxious – real anxiety setting in – mouth dry, palms sweating, heart racing and vision tunnelling slightly. Alas…
My son Leo and Christa advanced without me. I had thoughts that if the herd was going to charge me – weirdly there was no worry for my son – that I would have 2 choices. I would be able to jump to my right into an electric fence or left into a small tree. Obviously, the tree was a better option. I have to say that telling this story is rather embarrassing, but significant, because I learnt something. Battling with this mental distortion, soon I noticed that Leo and Christa were now far ahead of me, at the top of the road and a few steps away from the herd. I stopped and watched, reprimanding myself for my anxiety and trying to get a firm grip on managing it. I saw my son with the horses and said firmly to myself: For goodness’ sake – that’s your son up there – get a grip – you are supposed to be the brave one by example. But while all this adjustment was happening in my brain, Cody had again lifted his head and lead the herd toward Leo. Once he had joined up with my son, the rest of the herd followed and then suddenly they all formed a tight circle around my son and Christa. A head to tail formation. I could no longer see my son; he was in the middle of the circle.
Then… my anxiety began subsiding. I placed myself next to the tree, took a few long deep breaths and watched. As my anxiety fell away and I was about to walk further to join them, the herd broke the circle and they all began ambling down the path toward me – the horses, Leo, and Christa. I stood still. They began passing me, except Cody and his shadow Summer. Cody came right up to me and sniffed me from head to toe. I stood still, left my arms hanging by my side with my palms open (surrendering) and allowed myself to feel the privilege of his inspection. Summer did the same and then they moved on quietly. Again, I experienced a profound moment – one that I cannot describe, but if I try, I can say it felt like receiving an invaluable gift.
Anyway – what was the explanation to all of that? Christa told me later that horses can sense energy and that there is no difference between the energy of a predator and the energy of anxiety – they are both on the same frequency if you will. She said that the horses felt this energy from me and formed the tight circle around my son to protect him. That is why as soon as the anxiety fell away from me, they broke the circle and carried on without further worry. What!!!??? I was seen as a predator. They were protecting him from me – even though I was his mother. Wow!!!
So there we have it – many profound experiences in two sessions. I was sold on this form of therapy and always will be. That session was also one of the last few he had with Christa. His worrying behaviour of anxiety was changed for the better – he was coping with storms, he was able to be without us again, without panic and his little obsessive behaviours were becoming less.
So why is horse therapy so effective? A quick google search will tell you why if I have not managed to convince you yet.
Horse therapy, or equine therapy, or equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) benefits are:
(this list and explanation comes from https://www.tpoftampa.com/what-is-equine-therapy/ )
- Increased trust
- Reduced anxiety
- Less feeling of depression and isolation
- Increased self-esteem, self-acceptance, and social skills
- Better impulse control
- Increased problem-solving skills
- Improved communication skills, including non-verbal
- Better understanding of healthy boundaries and the importance of assertiveness
- Learn to get outside own negative, self-absorbed thoughts and nurture another creature
Certain equine-assisted therapies are effective for children with cerebral palsy, behavioural tics, motor control issues, and coordination problems, and for people of any age with reduced mobility.
Research has found Equine Therapy to also be beneficial for those with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. The therapy helps individuals to better manage their emotions and learn to express feelings more positively. Riding and caring for the horses improve self-esteem and anxiety and improves negative body issues.
Most participants in Equine Therapy benefit from the unconditional acceptance offered by the horses they work with.
For more information on equine therapy, here are a few other links:
https://www.verywellmind.com/equine-therapy-mental-health-treatment-4177932
The centre where Cody – the brave – assists those in need is in this link:
https://edenempathy.co.za/about/
Leo’s therapist Christa Boshoff is the director. Her details are below:
https://edenempathy.co.za/team/dr-christa-boshoff/
So that’s our story – our experience. I will always be grateful to Christa for granting us this therapy opportunity, and for helping our son Leo. I will always be grateful to Cody for giving our son such a profound piece of advice. I am a believer in this form of therapy because I experienced it first-hand by default and saw the positive change in our son. Three years later, Leo is now taking horse-riding lessons and loving it.
If you would like to learn more about Cody the brave, and his remarkable story, here are a few more links:
https://www.iol.co.za/travel/meet-cody-the-horse-that-survived-the-knysna-fires-10384820
https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/horse-human/cody-brave-horse-south-africa-fire