CHAPS Offers New Program

Alphabet Soup Services is a new program that CHAPS Equine Assisted Services, is offering for the community.

On Tuesday, June 12th, Kirsten Marcus, Executive Director at CHAPS talked about the program “Today is a mock session for a new program that we just got funded from Hughes Charitable Foundation out of Jackson.” She said that the goal of the program is to help those who serve, hoping to give them some connections and give them inspiration to help them keep serving, through the connection with the horses.

The program does not involve riding the horses, but making a connection with the horses. There were three participants in Tuesday’s program.

Austin Soto, of the Sheridan Police Department, one of the participants, said that often in his work he sees the not-so-great side of people can make him down on himself.

Marcus added, “A horse is a true empath. They feel everything around them, that is how they, as a prey animal, function.”

She said that in a study by The HeartMath Institute, they found that a horse’s magnetic field from the heart extends 50 feet. This magnetic field affects humans, who also have a magnetic field around the heart. When a human is near a horse, the human’s heart rate and respiratory system slows down, and that helps to reduce stress. But humans have to be open and to let it happen, Marcus added. “If a human allows that to happen it is an amazing thing they can do.”

Kristen said that one program in Minnesota has been very well received but the biggest challenge, and it will be their challenge as well, is getting these folks to come out and give it a try.

Another participant in the program was Roger Ouellette, retired military, firefighter and police, as well as a volunteer at CHAPS. “I think once the word gets out it will be okay, but it is hard to get past the stigma of asking for help.

Andy Earp is also a veteran and retired EMS, and is a CHAPS volunteer and board member, and does horse therapy as well. He had this comment about working with the horses.

The attendees went into the arena and did several exercises to help ground them and to get close to the horses. In one they selected a curry comb or brush to groom the horse. Then they were instructed to simply touch the horse and feel the hair and the mane and muscles under the horse’s hide. They were also instructed to hug the horse’s neck as a way to get closer to the animal.

After several of these exercises, they learned how to join up with the horse, by approaching the loose horse, petting his shoulder, and asking the horse to ‘work with them.’ After a few tries, all joined up with the horse and the horse followed them around the arena.

In doing this exercise, Marcus said that one coast guard veteran,

Marcus told him that if the horse hadn’t liked his energy, she wouldn’t have followed him, and the veteran said that was the first time he had liked himself.

Marcus said this has been a pet project of hers for six years to help law enforcement and she added that now they are able to add-on other service providers as well, and said, “We are excited about that.” She said there are other such programs around the county, one in California and one in Minnesota, but this is only one she knows of in Wyoming.