26/01/2017
Text and photos: Ariane Mondo – Ascom ISD
On January 19, 2017, the project was officially launched. Potiguar Riding Therapy, which now offers this complementary therapy to children treated in Macaíba (RN) by Multidisciplinary Autism Spectrum Disorder Care Service (SEMEA) of Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (CEPS). The Potiguar Equine Therapy Project is a partnership between CEPS, a unit of Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) and the Agricultural School of Jundiaí (EAJ), from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Currently, in the state, this is the only hippotherapy offering exclusively for users of the Unified Health System (SUS).
The sessions are individualized, offered based on the needs of each child served by SEMEA and will take place weekly for 30 minutes, which is considered ideal for both the practitioner and the horse. The follow-up period for equine therapy varies from one to two years and on the first day of practice, all professionals involved reminded the guardians of the participating children that this is a complementary therapy and does not replace other therapeutic and educational interventions.
About equine therapy
Equine therapy is an educational and therapeutic method that uses horses as a working tool within an interdisciplinary approach in the areas of health, education and horse riding. The method was recognized by the Federal Council of Medicine as a complementary therapeutic resource in April 1997 and also as an educational method by the Special Education Division of the Education Secretariat of the Federal District, an institution affiliated with the National Association of Equine Therapy (ANDE-BRASIL). A bill is currently being processed in the National Congress that provides for Equine Therapy to be offered as a therapeutic method by the SUS (Unified Health System). In patients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), equine therapy can enhance forms of communication, socialization, self-confidence and self-esteem of practitioners and their families.
The Equotherapy Potiguar project accepts donations starting at R$50.00 to help maintain the horses involved and the riding arena. Those who donate receive a cap with the project logo as a token of appreciation. More information on how to contribute: equotherapypotiguar@gmail.com
Timeline
June 2016: Mario Cardoso, professor EAJ/UFRN and creator of the Potiguar Equine Therapy Project, gives a talk to CEPS professionals to explain how this complementary therapy works (News link HERE).
July 2016: Horses and support materials are donated to the project. EAJ/UFRN allocates and prepares an exclusive space for equine therapy practices. This process continues until December 2016.
October 2016: Samantha Maranhão (psychologist) and Yoshie Kanegane (physiotherapist), multidisciplinary tutors from CEPS, take a basic equine therapy course, in Brasília, at the National Equine Therapy Association/Ande Brasil -Photos HERE. In 42 hours of classes, they learned basic notions of horse riding, the approach of human and health sciences in hippotherapy, safety and emergency procedures to be adopted in hippotherapy, among other subjects.
November 2016: professionals involved in the Equotherapy Potiguar project participate in a course at SAMU in Natal/RN (Article HERE); Project is presented to parents of children involved in hippotherapy offered by SEMEA.
January 2017: children and parents come into contact with the project's rules and conditions for the first time and practices begin.
