Think about the word stable, and two definitions might come to mind. The first is a structure that houses domestic animals where they are fed and taken care of. The second describes someone who is unlikely to change; someone who is sane and sensible ` not easily upset or disturbed.
At Peaceful Acres, horses provide humans with a greater sense of stability through various therapies and exercises. While the idea of combining therapy for humans with activities that revolve around horses — taking care of them, riding them — may seem unusual, the owner of Peaceful Acres, Nanci Beyeri, said the benefits are real.
`We have 20 social workers that have four legs and eat an awful lot of hay and grain every day,` said Beyeri.
Peaceful Acres moved to its site in Pattersonville four years ago. With ample acreage, a barn and an indoor arena, Beyeri knew she wanted to make the space into a boarding, lesson and training facility, but the idea to incorporate Equine Assisted Therapy took a couple of months to come up with. After her idea’s inception, Beyeri went on to receive her master’s degree in social work, and then got certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association in equine-assisted psychotherapy.
`We complement what therapists do in an office, but we also bring a therapeutic treatment modality into the farm because we are clinicians,` said Beyeri.
Beyeri’s social workers are the horses, ponies and donkeys she and her team of volunteers rescued from around the area. After the animals are stabilized emotionally and physically, they act as guides for emotional growth and wellness of others. Peaceful Acres serves young people and families in need; children and adults with mental disabilities; and young people and women with adjustment disorders and family and peer issues.
`Sometimes some clients, depending on their age and their diagnosis, don’t do as well in traditional talk therapy alone, so you introduce a program like this,` said Beyeri.
Through interacting with the horses in a variety of ways in single or group sessions, clients learn to care for the horses, communicate with them and ride, although 90 percent of the work is done on the ground. Clients also participate in farm work. Beyeri believes these activities, combined with therapy, are effective.
`We’re [seeing] a reduction in reactivity, impulsivity, anxiety and depression,` said Beyeri. `We’re seeing improvement in communication, focus, self-esteem, socialization, peer relations and social settings and problem solving [in our clients].`
Peaceful Acres offers a variety of programs six days a week, including weekend retreats for women and summer and after-school programs for children and is almost entirely volunteer-run.
`We have lots of young volunteers, but we would love to have some older adult volunteers. We need them especially now in the winter time — horses need a lot of care, stalls need to be cleaned, feeding needs to be done, the barn needs to be kept as neat as possible,` said Carole McArdle, volunteer coordinator for Peaceful Acres.
Overhead for keeping the farm running and the animals cared for is high, and with the economy on hard times, Beyeri says that this is the toughest two months she’s ever seen. Even though the farm is given donations, such as food from Nutrena, monetary donations are only trickling in, and Beyeri said she is concerned for the months ahead.
`The problem is that now because of the economy, we have so many of these young people that are being told that they can’t continue the program because there’s no funding, and that’s when they start to escalate because they feel like they’re going to lose someplace that has become stable for them,` said Beyeri.“