Equine therapy in Coronavirus times - Gustavo Mirabal Castro

For months the world has been facing a difficult situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The disease started in China specifically in Wuhan in late 2019, but expanded to other regions. The effects have been devastating. That’s why we propose an innovative way to deal with it. Equine Therapy in Coronavirus Times? Yes, that’s what we propose… Let’s see why?

In February, a focus of the pandemic was triggered in Italy, becoming one of the countries in Europe most affected.

Without a doubt, health personnel have done their best to deal with this deadly disease. For this reason some doctors have been emotionally affected, for watching so many people die causes sadness and helplessness.

There are many ways to deal with negative feelings and one of these ways is equinotherapy. Equinotherapy has been shown to help people with emotional problems but let’s delve into the topic.

For this reason we will address the issue of Equinotherapy in the time of Coronavirus.

Horses are animals that are used as cotherapists in various diseases and special conditions of people. In addition this has a healing potential in the emotional aspect. This has been studied and continues to deepen with great results.

Being in touch with these animals relaxes us and makes us feel good. This is what doctors, nurses and other health personnel who are fighting coronavirus on the front line need.

2020 - "Intervento psicologico mediato dal cavallo di supporto al personale sanitario di Niguarda"

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Equinotherapy as an emotional tool for health workers in Italy

Italy has been one of the countries with the highest number of contagions and coronavirus deaths. As a result, this has affected the health system and its staff. Therefore the medical and nursing team has had to deal with a very difficult situation.

In this sense, the initiative has been taken to make the decision to implement equinotherapy as a tool to relieve stress in health personnel.

This is done specifically in a milan hospital. This being one of the areas most hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Since February, the entire health team has taken care of the population suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. It should be noted that this disease plagues the entire planet.

The most critical situation is in the northern part of the country, the Lombardy Region.

Benefits in the emotional aspect of equine therapy in times of coronavirus

Taking into account the emotional benefits of equinotherapy has been implemented in the greeting staff facing the coronavirus achieving:

Increase motivation, this being an important factor for people working on the front line facing coronavirus.
Help correct behavioral problems, in people who fall into depression or anxiety due to covid joint – 19.
Stimulate affectivity, tactile, visual, olfactory and auditory sensitivity. This being a relaxing experience for doctors and nurses.
Develop self-confidence and help to strengthen self-esteem, a necessary element in harsh environments.
All these elements achieve a nonverbal dialogue with the horse, which facilitates social relationships.

Equine therapy in times of coronavirus gives a break and relaxation to health personnel. This has allowed them to recover to move forward with their laudable work.

Equine therapy in times of coronavirus

The Covid-19 or coronavirus as it is known is an invisible and unknown enemy. This is why health personnel are immersed in heavy workloads. In all, there are multiple stressors.

This situation ends up exhausting people so their emotional appearance is affected. For this reason equine therapy in times of coronavirus plays a role relevant to this joint to help manage emotional stress.

Stressors during the epidemic include:

The risks of spreading and transmitting the virus to others.
The steady increase in positive cases and patient deaths
Deaths of health staff the own
Without a doubt all these elements play against and bring as negative effects the widespread feeling of alarm and fear.

All of these factors that in one way or another affect the emotional stability of doctors and nurses make them perfect candidates to interact and relax with horses.

The sense of peace and quiet that these animals convey is ineffable. The benefits of this therapy may improve the emotional appearance of health workers.

Equine therapy help to manage emotional stress

Equine therapy at the hospital of Niguarda – Milan, a role model.

This innovative Niguarda hospital in the city of Milan has an element that sets it apart from the other health centers. This hospital has a riding school in its infrastructures.

The V. Di Capua Center had the initiative to launch the novel idea of equine therapy in times of coronavirus. This alternative therapy with horses serves to reduce and contain the level of emotional stress of the people who work there.

Without a doubt this is one of the ways to motivate the staff in these times that we are facing the coronavirus.

This health center is one of those who took on this therapy in Italy. That is why they are pioneers in this field.

Horse-assisted therapy is put into practice in the treatment of children with psychic, cognitive and emotional disorders.

The head of the psychology area of the hospital, Umberto Mazza, expressed the following:

“Emergency personnel are under great stress that can manifest themselves with symptoms of anxiety, affect sleep, produce mood swings, difficulty concentrating, and may impair their functions”

Hence the reason for carrying out equine therapy sessions with health personnel. Under these adverse conditions it is even more necessary for horses to provide their healing power to people who face the coronavirus in this locality.

Doctor petting a horse - Equine therapy in Coronavirus times — Doctor petting a horse – Equine therapy in Coronavirus times

Healing horses from Niguarda hospital – Milan Italy

In the facilities of this health center you have several horses among which are the following:

Adelina
Jupiter
Birbante
Jamaica
Fly Lady.
Winter
Nilo (in english Nile).

These wonderful animals bring their unconditional love to a group of doctors and nurses who work on the front line fighting the coronavirus.

This is a unique time and space where people enjoy the company of these beautiful animals. Likewise, people enjoy the outdoors, in contact with the horses.

This creates a sense of peace and well-being that helps them recharge the batteries to continue their laudable work.

Animals for human well-being

Equine therapy in times of coronavirus usually has a positive effect on those who practice it.

Hopefully and other health centers take this initiative, if they can’t do it with horses for space reasons, it would be good to do it with dogs trained to provide therapy to people.

Animals give us that peace and quiet, so we must respect and love them.