A research program that has already helped people with dementia by having them interact with horses is launching at U.C. Davis.
People undergoing early stage dementia and mild cognitive impairment along with their caregivers will be paired with horses in hopes of improving the patients’ demeanor and communication skills.
Initial results conducted at Stanford Universtiy found people exhibited more positive facial expressions and had more energy.
In the Central Valley, the Heart of the Horse Therapy Ranch founder Guy Adams vouches for the power of horse therapy. His non-profit offers it to veterans with PTSD and brain trauma.
“It can get endorphins to fire and it gets words, gets noises to come out of people who normally don’t say a thing.” Guy Adams, Heart Of The Horse Therapy Ranch.
People with memory loss can feel isolated and anxious and grooming and walking the horses can have a therapeutic effect,
The nonprofit group Connected Horse will collaborate on the clinical trial with the UC Davis School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
The clinical trial begins Oct. 31 and will accommodate between 12 and 20 participants. The trial will include three workshop days, orientation and follow-up phone calls. No experience with horses is required. For information, call 916-708-4904 or visit ConnectedHorse.com.
Click here to listen to the story by KMJ Reporter Liz Kern:
