Finding harmony with Horses Post Dementia Conference

12 Jun 2024

Following the Dementia Care Conference Prof. Sharon Kaasalainen brought the international speakers to Walkabout Farm for a special visit. 

After the busy lead-up to the Dementia Care Conference and an overwhelming day of excellent discussions, Prof. Sharon Kaasalainen brought the international speakers to Walkabout Farm for a special visit. The visit served two purposes: to learn about the programs Jenn Semach runs with her team of nine horses and many volunteers, and to relieve the busy stress that comes with conference travel and networking. Jenn had just the right medicine for the speakers: a co-regulation session with the horses. Not knowing much about what this entailed, we put our trust in Jenn, who guided us into a sensory experience. Before we knew it, we were sitting in a barn accompanied by three horses, with two more just outside. Jenn warned us about the upcoming smells, noises, and vibrations, explaining that the goal was to slow our heart rates and breathing, creating a ‘Zen experience’. The emotional transfer, between humans and horses, hypothesis suggests a mutual coordination of emotional states, which occurs through a coupling process during interaction. While this mechanism is supported by a few existing studies on human-horse emotional fine-tuning, it could play a key role in Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAIs). Horses' nervous systems are organized to maintain a lower resting balance than ours. A content and healthy horse typically has a heart rate of 28 to 40 beats per minute, conserving energy for potential survival needs. In contrast, human nervous systems are geared the opposite way. Partnering with horses in this manner allows individuals to feel their systems relaxing, providing a new baseline for how to expend energy and how to feel. The word "partnering" is very intentional here, as horses are incredibly sensitive animals and should have a choice in this activity. One of the horse’s lay down outside the stables. Other horses made sounds or came over to nudge or be with members during the session which contributed to co-regulation experience.

Co-regulation refers to the process where individuals influence each other's emotional and physiological states to achieve a sense of balance and calm. The blowing sounds made by the horses as they relaxed were very calming and created a more secure feeling. Gentle tail swishing also indicated the horses were at ease. Being attuned to these signals allowed us to adjust our own behavior and emotional state to create a more harmonious interaction, which is fundamental to co-regulation. These interactions not only help the horse feel more comfortable and understood but also encouraged us to develop greater mindfulness, empathy, and emotional regulation skills. The classification of human-animal interactions remains under debate, and it is challenging to define every interaction exclusively, regardless of the animal species involved. From our visit to walkabout farm and having the opportunity to engage in emotional interspecies exchange, we left the barn profoundly peaceful. The experience enhances our skills in non-verbal communication, empathy, and stress reduction, which are crucial when working with dementia patients. It also inspires research innovative approaches to studying dementia care and fosters a deeper understanding of holistic therapeutic care.

International visiting team: Judith Meijers, Jolanda Friesen, Irene Hartigan, Brittany DeGraves

McMaster team: Anthea Innes, Vinina Dal Bello-Haas, Sharon Kaasalainen