Advice on Horse therapy training

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Opie2017

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I would like to get my miniature horse 2 year old colt trained to be a therapy horse. I know # 1 getting him gelding and I understand what to do about desensitizing him but what do I need to do to get him qualified (like where to begin etc) Thank you
 
What kind of therapy work are you planning?  If you mean taking him into Nursing Homes, etc..... you really don't need to be licensed for that.
 
Nursing homes, group homes or even private homes, places with consumers with disabilities. Basically meet and greet, where they can pat the minis, hug them etc. Here is a headshot with the mini, I will be using for therapy. Right now he is about 29 inches tall and little over 2 years old.

40772594_287390695409956_3652097913984647168_n.jpg
 
I'm surprised no one else has responded. There have been several other mini horse owners who have done what you describe.  We've done it for a local retirement home, but it's been awhile. The one thing you should look into is liability insurance regarding your horse. We have a farm policy as part of our house insurance which covers taking our horses off the property.
 
I would be working on as much exposure as you possibly can  with him. Take him to as many new and different environments as you are able too, this will only benefit him as he matures. 

I would also contact your local council to see if there are any local laws you need to follow. 

Really important what Miniv has said about Insurance ^^^^^ .  I wouldn't take him anywhere until you have all that sorted. 

Finally , Seeing that he only a 2yo , personally I would wait until he matures a little , Just my opinion though :)
 
I only walk him around the neighborhood sometimes and if we have visitors they greet him outside the fenced in area. I will def looked into the insurance. He is pretty calm now so I see him being even more calm when he is a gelded. 
 
I would be thinking you would need to expose him to much more than a walk around the neighborhood. Try and get him used to things you may see or come into contact in your therapy sessions. If this was me , I would start by taking him to a local horse show or somewhere he is exposed to people and crowds.  Crowded spaces, people approaching and patting your horse at different angles, wheelchairs etc. Take him out on as many day trips in the horse float as possible.

Id even look into things like exposing him to different surfaces. As you take him to different places, there will be heaps of different surfaces like, tiled floors, pavement, etc.

If I was purchasing  a horse for this reason , I would be looking at a horse that is well behaved in any situation and is calm at all times no matter what is happening around them. 

I dont mean for any of this to come across as being harsh, I just think there is a lot more too it , in training  a therapy horse.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I do not think you are being harsh at all, all the advice given will be greatly appreciated. I know about wheel chairs, walkers. He does get patted a lot all over, we live in a small down and don't have access to wheel chairs, walkers but we have been looking in yard sales. I was working a lot so haven't had much time for training him. now working less so I can now spend more time with him and expose him to more surroundings.  Infact the next parade we have I will be bringing him it etc. Thank you for all the information 
 

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