116 / HorseandRider.comA unique nature exposure therapy program uses
wild horses to help adults with autism.BYJESSICA MORRIS
A herd of semi-
wild Florida
Cracker Horses
are a key part of
Eye of a Horse’s
equine-assisted
psychotherapy
program.Therapy Horses Gone Wild
M
ingling with a herd of feral
horses in an open fi eld may not
be a typical therapy activity,
but it’s a regular occurrence at the Eye
of a Horse program in St. Cloud, Florida,
where wild Florida Cracker Horses play
an important role in helping adolescents
and adults with autism practice their
social skills and gain confi dence.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates that approx-
imately 1 in 59 children has been
identifi ed with autism spectrum dis-
order, a group of neurodevelopmental
disorders characterized by diffi culties
with social interactions, verbal and
non-verbal communication, and re-
stricted repetitive patt erns of behav-
ior, interest, and activities. Although
there are many resources available to
children with autism, most end once
the child turns 18. That’s when Eye of a
Horse steps in.Dr. Sandra Wise, a licensed psychologist,
and Dean Van Camp, an experiencedhorse trainer, created the animal-assist-
ed nature exposure therapy program in
2011 at the Crescent J Ranch, a working
catt le ranch within the 4,700-acre
Forever Florida nature preserve. Eye of
a Horse serves a broad range of partic-
ipants, but the program’s learning and
psychotherapy opportunities for adults
with autism are especially unique.
Unlike the horses at many equine-as-
sisted therapy programs, those at Eye
of a Horse are not bomb-proof. In fact,
many are barely halter broke. Rather,
these four-legged therapists are semi-
wild Florida Cracker Horses that roam
the 1,350-acre ranch.
The Florida Cracker Horse is a rare
breed whose bloodlines can be traced
back to Spanish horses brought to
Florida in the early 1500s by Juan Ponce
de León. The ranch’s 85-head herd is the
largest in the world, and they are rarely
handled by people. It is precisely their
wild nature that makes them perfect for
Eye of a Horse’s equine-assisted psycho-
therapy program.Because the horses have limited hu-
man contact, they react to any and every
action made by program participants.
For those with autism—who typically
struggle to understand and use non-ver-
bal communication—the reactions of
the horses provide clear lessons.
“What we are aiming at is for our
students to learn something about
themselves through the reaction that
the horse gives to their behavior,”
says Wise.
As the participants observe and
interact with the horses, Wise asks
them to explain why they think the
horses react the way they do. What
is this horse trying to communicate
by pinning his ears and clenching his
jaw? What is that horse showing by
cocking his hind leg and lett ing his
lower lip hang? Answering these ques-
tions helps the participants practice
understanding the perspectives of
others, a valuable social skill.
Though participants learn through
Wise’s guidance, they also benefi t
PHOTOSBY^
JODIB
UTLER^PI
ERCEPROVIDED BY HOPE IN THE SADDLE, AN EQUINE NETWORK PROJECT