CHAPS Horses Occasionally Visit Schools And Senior Homes Instead of Vice-Versa

Spending time with a horse is considered therapeutic to some people, both physically and/or mentally, but not everyone has a barn to raise one, and don’t always have the time to visit one.

In some cases, the horses can do the visiting.

The CHAPS Equine Assisted Services occasionally bring a few horses or ponies to places such as schools and senior living centers, so that youngsters, the elderly or special education students can spend time either brushing the horses’ hair, giving a simple hug and/or to just look at and admire them.

Kristen Marcus who is the executive director of the CHAPS program, says when horses visit youngsters such as those around preschool age, it can help them learn simple social skills, such as taking turns and to be kind and patient.

“Seeing an animal at school is just really thrilling, at least that’s what the teachers tell us and so we work really hard to piggyback on top of their lesson plans to reinforce what they’re learning, because this makes it novel and so then the kids are going to remember it more and we have in the last few years have them report to us that the children do retain better after the ponies have been here.”

Marcus adds when it comes to the elderly, the horses help them redevelop their social skills, because the horses become the topic of conversation and the elderly aren’t spending as much time in their rooms.