Horses & Soldiers
Options for Workshops
Why horses?
Program Objectives
Program Objectives
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To enable soldiers in both regular and reserve units who experienced combat in various zones to process their experiences in a safe and supportive environment. In order to improve their performance in all possible ways.
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To inquire the possibility of using therapeutic centers which are able to offer various trauma treatments and to prevent post trauma (by way of strengthening the personal resilience) and in particular EAT.
How does EAT evolve change in coping with PTSD and contribute to personal resilience?
Research:
Those coping with PTSD undergo decline in anxiety and stress by their interaction with horses.
The presence of horses has a calming effect which enables the participants to connect to their feelings in a safe environment.
Improvement of emotional regulation which is vital in coping with the feelings of detachment
Horse characteristics:
Non judgmental companionship
Horses do not analyze us or doubt stories they stand quietly and accept us for who we are.
Mirror our emotions – the horses reflect what we undergo unconsciously, our anxieties our fears our tranquility.
Horses are constantly reacting to us. The feedback that is transferred to the person enables him to regulate their emotions.
Here and now – horses live in the here and now they react to us in a given time. Each change in our behavior or emotions will evoke a different reaction from the horse. Thus the soldier will be able to renew his emotional resilience and to check in real time if it is successful.
Options for Workshops
Day workshop -
The farm, and the close presence of the horses, will allow a safe space and an open atmosphere for getting to know each other in depth, for formation, for a different and refreshing experience from the everyday and for strengthening resilience, especially in this complex period.
The workshop consists of an activity with the horses for two hours and additional activities to choose from (sports activity, yoga therapy, art activity, mind-body workshop and more).
Process workshop -
Such a workshop would be suitable for organic teams but also for groups whose members do not know each other and wish to go through an emotional process that emphasizes resilience.
A short-term process workshop (6 sessions) where in each of the sessions there will be a horse activity for two hours and additional activities to choose from (sports, art, yoga, body-mind workshop, etc.).
A long-term workshop (12 sessions) where in each of the sessions there will be a horse activity and an additional activity to choose from. In addition, in this workshop there will be two "highlight days" which will be longer and include additional formation activities (on the fire, performance, etc.).