What makes an equine therapy offering “the best equine therapy in Adelaide?”
When we were described by a Support Co-ordinator as the best equine therapy in Adelaide, we allowed ourselves a moment to feel great, and then asked “why?.”
We’ll tell you what the Support Co-ordinator said right at the end (no peeking), but it did get us thinking – what are the criteria for judging these things.
And we thought of a whole bunch of them. So, if you are thinking of equine therapy in Adelaide or elsewhere, you may find this list helpful.
Consider the environment.
Does it feel good to be there?
What’s it like to be on the ground there? Some places have wonderful arenas and round yards, gleaming stables and 50-year-old hedges, and some places are a paddock with a garden shed. But what does it feel like? Are you comfortable?
Do the people make you feel good, and safe?
Are the team on the ground warm, do you enjoy being with them? Are they people you’d gladly spend time with outside of your horse sessions?
Do the horses seem to enjoy it?
Are the horses lining up at the fence ready to take part, or is someone chasing them down and leading them towards you? Do they look healthy and fit? Are they just the right weight, not too skinny nor barrel-shaped?
Are you safe?
This really starts with having a team who knows what they are doing. At Heartfelt Support, we have a Safety Officer present at every session. They keep you, the horse, and the rest of the team safe.
Is the ground stable (no pun intended) underfoot. Are there horses running around on the loose where you are with no tack on, while you are there?
Incidentally, a provider should be properly insured, and you should ask about that, it’s another way you are kept safe.
Is the team flexible and varied?
Are there a range of different practitioners that have different qualifications, styles, and approaches? A big clue here is when you first enquire, do they ask you a lot of questions to try to match you to a practitioner and often, a horse?
Are they transparent?
Do they published detailed information about equine therapy pricing? (We do, it’s here!). Are there pictures of videos that show them in action.
Are they keeping people happy?
It is easy to check, just look at their Facebook page, is the engagement all positive (but be careful as people can curate this to an extent. Do Support Coordinators hear good things about the. Do you know anyone who is/was a client? Just ask!
Best versus best for you.
Do they do the things you specifically need? For example, we don’t do riding. If riding is your main goal, we are not the best…for you. Are the horses small enough/big enough for you? If you have mobility issues, is that a problem on site? We recommend telling us upfront about your requirements, we’ll be honest if we think we are not right for you.
So, what did that Support Co-ordinator say?
The Support Co-ordinator said that we are flexible and accommodating, and highly engaging for the clients. We think those things are just obvious. It’s nice someone notices, but if someone can’t be those things, then maybe they stop altogether! It’s surely a minimum standard.
Last thoughts:
The best equine therapy in Adelaide is subjective but the best equine therapy for you is objective.
Does it meet your needs while keeping you safe?
If so, then it’s surely the best.