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"The Spirit Of The Horse And The Spirituality Of The Child"

By Mother Hildegard George, OSB, Ph.D.

 Mother Hildegard George, a Benedictine nun and noted child psychologist, uses animals in her treatment of children. She has several published works on interventions in therapy for children and adolescents, child abuse, domestic violence and animal abuse. She consults and teaches for the American Humane Association and the Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She also tends the flock of sheep, llamas and alpacas at her monastery in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. This is an excerpt from her presentation at the Horse Breeders and Owners Conference in 2003.

Gandhi once wrote that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I would extend the criteria to include the way its children are treated.

We live in an age when there are many outside stresses placed on the child and family as a whole. We virtually live in a throwaway society. We pollute our environment with unwanted, often unused, material goods. We throw away our pets (multi-millions a year) and we throw away our elderly and our children. Many children who are not abandoned are, to a degree, neglected -- educationally, emotionally and spiritually.

One of the most important virtues we need to instill in our young children is empathy. Direct contact with animals is one way of helping children develop empathy with other creatures, other humans and the environment. As children discover their inner selves they become individuals, able to tell right from wrong, and able to move out and be caring and loving to all life.

Compassion is another virtue that we learn by being loved. It is to understand other's needs based on who they are. Compassion is sensitive, kind, forgiving, tender, merciful and unselfish. It releases the best in us and it defines humanity!

Because of the growing need for more and more ways to help children on the continuum of normal development, I have introduced animals into therapy and activities. It is a method for creating a healthy environment to assist the child in coping with stress as well as deepen the sensitivity of children. It has amazed me for years that children who have a hard time in normal learning environments excel when working with an animal.

Children often learn best by example. They can develop an awareness of the needs and feelings of others by watching how peers and adults care for and relate to animals. Children can practice a variety of interactions with a horse, which can be later incorporated into relationships with others. The horse can teach children behaviours not easily acquired by the usual learning techniques, such as a capacity to communicate nonverbally. The horse can also help the child develop self-esteem, nurturing, cooperation and socialization, all of which contribute to the building of empathy.

The relationship with the horse will show the child the consequences of the relationship and give the child limits in order to maintain that relationship. This interaction with child and horse restores the mind and body and spirit to wholeness, often allowing the child to forget problems. Focus on care of the horse helps the child develop nurturing. The relationship with the horse can help the child express his feelings or better understand them.

The horse elevates the child and carries him off, returning him to the ground with a lighter load and greater self-confidence than he started with. Many children suffer from hyperactivity or have a poor attention span. Having the child exercise the horse, even running or walking along side the horse, can help release energy.

One of the most important times for all children is quiet times with their animals. Let the child just sit and be with his pal. For children who have a hard time relating, encourage a relationship with a specific horse. It takes a talent to align the child with the proper horse. Pair the child with others his age or older and assign them simple tasks with their horses. Find ways to help the child develop trust. Even tasks such as foot trimming and simple training exercises can boost the child's self-esteem -- leading to trust of others. For the child who must always be in control, she will soon learn when she gives up control and lets the horse guide her that she can discover a new self. Horses bring magic into a child's life because they give the imagination free reign.

There are a lot of books today about those who whisper to horses. They say the best training is based on collaboration and sensitivity rather than fear and shame. It is about heart and patience, not force and intelligence. We must apply this same whispering to all children.

What greater gift can we give to children than a sense of calling, that there is a reason they are alive. The development of empathy for all God's creation is how we teach children to care for and protect the world. This development of empathy, which is a part of the child's developing interiority, should be the priority of all parents and educators and adults who deal with children.