Stable Connections Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies

Who We Are

Stable Connections, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit charitable organization located in Guildhall, VT and is the only certified facility utilizing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning in northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

Programs include: Corporate Team Building for organizations and schools, Military Veterans Workshops, Horses Helping Seniors, Therapeutic Horsemanship, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Learning and English or Western Riding/Horsemanship lessons.

"Northeast Kingdom Nonprofit Helping Veterans Find Stable Connections"

WCAX Channel 3 Feature on Stable Connections (2020)

ARENA & MEETING CENTER PROJECT

Architectural rendering of the new Arena & Meeting Center.

Modalities of Treatment

Treatment and programming at Stable Connections focuses primarily on two modalities of evidenced based treatment.

The first modality is equine assisted psychotherapy using the EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) model. This model is a team approach to treatment, which includes working with a Certified Equine Specialist, Licensed Mental Health Provider, horses, and the participant. Our approach is client centered, focusing on the science that humans learn best through their own experiences.

Contrary to popular belief, equine assisted psychotherapy is not riding or horsemanship skills. The focus is on experiential learning, utilizing a person or a groups interactions and experiences with the horses as a metaphor for the emotions they are feeling or the way they interact with the world. Horses are uniquely qualified to provide this form of treatment as they are intelligent prey animals, extremely aware with their surroundings and interactions. Their heightened senses allow them to pick up on non-verbal cues, changes in heart rate, and the energy a person is emitting, giving instant feedback to the people they are working with. This can then be utilized in discussions at the end of the session.

Observing and interacting with the herd allows for participants to compare what they observe or experience to their own social or familial experiences. Horses are large and powerful and it’s hard to ignore their presence. Approaching a horse helps participants to reflect on how they approach relationships or other overwhelming situations in their lives.

The second modality is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR has been extensively studied and is considered evidenced based practice primarily for post traumatic stress disorder and other stress and trauma related disorders. It is also becoming a proven modality for other diagnosis such as anxiety, substance abuse disorders, and depression. EMDR is an eight-phase approach that allows participants to reprocess negative experiences and thoughts without having to talk in length about their experience.

EMDR therapy at Stable Connections is provided by a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who has been certified through EMDRIA (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association). When providing this modality at Stable Connections, we often utilize the horses at the end of a session to help with stabilization and transition from the therapeutic environment back to daily life.