Canyon Acres Children and Family Successes…

Paige's Story

There is something magical about the bond between a horse and a child. At Canyon Acres Children and Family Services, our nationally accredited Therapeutic Horse Riding Program is a unique and highly successful mental health program provided at the Children’s Treatment Center at The Ranch. Building a relationship with the horses in a calming, therapeutic environment allows for the lowering of defenses and increases the natural progression of trust that helps children to heal from their emotional wounds. Though simple in concept, the program benefits are important and long-lasting, including the building of self-esteem, creativity, assertiveness, leadership, teamwork, and positive relationships.

Six year old Paige had experienced a lot of family trauma in her young life. Abuse within the family led to Paige’s mistrust of others and created a lot of pent of feelings of anger and defiance causing her to act out in school and behave negatively toward others. Upon Paige’s referral to Canyon Acres, our staff members immediately set to work establishing a treatment plan to help Paige through the tough times in her life. Goals were set to ease Paige’s feelings of aggression and to promote effective expressions of those feelings and needs.

In the beginning, Paige showed a nurturing nature toward the small ponies, but had a real fear of the large horses. While developing coping skills and building a relationship with a volunteer and staff member, Paige was able to learn enough about dealing with her emotions to slowly begin to ride her horse. As Paige’s riding skills improved, her self-confidence began to soar too.

Today, at age 8, Paige has participated in the Therapeutic Horse Riding program for a year and a half. Recently, Paige has begun to show proper control of her emotions. Not only can she ride her favorite horse without a leader, she is successfully learning how to trust in a relationship with horses and our program staff and volunteers. Paige’s pride in herself for conquering her fears and in the accomplishments she’s made in her riding skills is summed up in the big smile she now wears on her face. It is wonderful to see.

Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.