Team Oatmeal

I would like you to introduce you to Oatmeal, one of the “mini” therapy horses that PBJ Connections uses in its equine assisted therapy sessions.  Oatmeal is a miniature horse that lives at Taco Bella Farm with his best friend Waffles.  Oatmeal is very curious and playful and will bring a smile to the most reluctant of participants. He is also a sensitive guy who likes people to ask permission before approaching him.  

Miniature horses have a calming effect on people of all ages.  Because of their small size, they are extremely effective in therapy for helping children suffering from a severe trauma, people with disabilities, or elderly nursing home residents suffering from dementia or depression. They can also help to calm ordinary people in stressful situations.

Horses of all sizes can be fabulous healers for children and adults with trauma history. Horses are honest, unbiased, and non-judgmental and respond openly without pretense only to people’s intent and behavior.  They are very tuned in with human energy and emotions.  Because of this ability, a horse can sense what we are feeling sometimes better than we do.  With carefully chosen words and a forced smile, we can hide our real feelings from another person.  We sometimes may not even be aware of our own deeper feelings.  But because horses are so tuned into our emotional energy, they sense emotions that hide under the surface and mirror them back to us.  They show us what we have been avoiding and give immediate feedback in their actions such as by moving towards us or moving away.

Working with a horse is a great education for helping us to learn patience, attention, compassion, and taking responsibility for our actions.  It helps us to have a greater understanding of ourselves and others, thus allowing us to communicate more effectively and have more fulfilling relationships with family, friends, co-workers and the world around us.