April 2014 - Volume 2 Issue 2
NEWS in
Why did we adopt Karma?
This is her first picture.
Need we say more?
Human/Animal Interaction
Do you believe in Karma?
1
You will after you meet our
therapy dog. We first saw the
3-month-old Great Pyrenees in
Cameron Missouri at the
Puppies for Parole (P4P)
program at Crossroads
Correctional Center. Just one
look and that’s all it took – we
were all about Karma! A few
weeks later we brought her
home right after she passed the American Kennel Club Good
Citizenship Test – the youngest P4P dog in the state to ever do
so. Great Pyrenees are among the elite protectors of livestock. So
our idea was that Karma would grow into a “barn dog” and look
after our animals. You can see from the pictures that Karma took
on a role we didn’t expect. Still too young to protect the animals
she is taking care of our boys.
See the last page for more of her amazing story.
3
It’s almost here!
2
Derby Day
May 3rd!
Join the celebration
for the first of an
annual tradition at
Bridle Ridge – a
party to watch the
“running of the
roses!” Have fun
and support equine
therapy at the same
time!
ADVANCED
A-P4P
For more info:
[email protected]
The Bridle Ridge Therapy Team
DANCER
CHECKMATE
EEYORE (back)
CINDERELLA
BUDDY
PICASSO
PHOEBE (back)
STELLA
KARMA
The Humans
Kelsey Baxter, Vet Tech Student
Randi Benedick, Mental Health Therapist
Danielle Brantley, Equine Manager
Gene Bryan, Site Manager
Carol Cameron, Volunteer Event Coordinator
Brittany Coleman, Intern
Judy Finnegan, COMTREA VP
Bob Hoffman, Volunteer Canine Coordinator
Liz Meyers, Activity Coordinator
SHADOW
WILLIE BOY
Robin Raynor, Vet Tech Student
Ashley Trueman, Mental Health Therapist
Why use a Horse in Mental Health Therapy?
The therapy used at Bridle Ridge is equine ground therapy
within the guidelines of the “Equine Assisted Growth and
Learning Association (EAGALA)”. This is not about
recreation with horses, it is mental health therapy using
horses. What typically happens within a therapist’s office
instead happens in an arena with one or more horses. An
illustration: In the better known play therapy, dolls or
other toys are used to prompt the communication of
problems along with the development of solutions. The
same technique is used in equine ground therapy, except
rather than inanimate objects, the horses are the props.
The primary difference between play therapy and equine
ground therapy is that the horses react and interact with
the client providing an entirely new dimension to the
therapy session.
K
I
T
U
P
D
T
A
E
N
E
T
As previously announced, the kittens were
named Phoebe and Stella thanks to Andrew
Johnson, COMTREA Drug Court Counselor
who won the naming contest. (They just fit
their personalities best!) (And, we were
getting tired of calling them “Yellow Cat” and
“White Cat”). Both are doing great – growing
fast and staying busy in their mouser training.
Lessons from Knuckles
Melissa’s family decided to adopt a dog from Puppies for Parole and
chose a lab/shepherd/hound/who knows what mix named Knuckles.
Little did they know that this dog rescued from almost certain
euthanasia in an overcrowded shelter was going to make their lives
completely different.
Three-year-old daughter Melissa had autism. She didn’t show much
emotion; she didn’t talk; she routinely got up in the middle of the
night and tried to get out of the house - and she ran when in a store or
parking lot. A lot of stress for the parents.
When he was paroled and entered his new home for the first time,
things changed immediately. The instant Melissa saw Knuckles she
made a beeline across the room and threw her arms around him. Then
she talked to him. At bedtime she let it be known that Knuckles was to
sleep with her. That was the first night since she came home from the
hospital as an infant that her parents were both able to sleep through
the night.
Two years later, Knuckles is still Melissa’s best friend. She shows
more affection now and talks more. She oftentimes sleeps through the
night but when she does get up, Knuckles barks and alerts the adults.
Out in public Knuckles is tethered to Melissa giving her about ten feet
of wiggle room. She still sometimes runs from her parents. But she
can’t get far. When Melissa bolts, Knuckles just sits down and barks.
The parents see them and come to the rescue. And Knuckles gets a
biscuit.
Knuckles teaches us lessons. First, that dogs can communicate in ways
that people can’t. Second, dogs can provide a kind of therapy that
professionals can’t. And third, all kinds of little girls love dogs!
Knuckles
The family just wanted a pet. But Knuckles wanted a job. And that
changed everything.
Bridle Ridge Acres is a Division of COMTREA
which is a comprehensive community treatment
organization founded in 1973. COMTREA is a
not-for-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center;
an Administrative Agent for the Missouri
Department of Mental Health; is approved by the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitative
Facilities; and is a United Way agency.
4
Karma, continued from page 1…
www.COMTREA.org
Facebook.com/bridleridgeacres
We appreciate your help.
To volunteer or to make a
donation contact Liz at
[email protected] OR
636-232-2338
All donations are tax deductible
At a Bridle
Ridge Open
House, Willie
Boy meets
Stormy who
is a P4P/
COMTREA
Certified
Helper Dog.
We’re not
sure who was
more curious,
but both
agreed that
touching
noses is a
good way to
begin a
friendship!
We started our equine therapy program by bringing
adoelscent boys from our residential center to the
farm. That’s where they met Karma. Within days the
boys were smitten and asking for her to visit them at
the center. And then we learned that without any
special training Karma is a therapy dog. When a
client is “escalating” he may choose to get on the
floor with Karma (picture #1, page 1). Within minutes
he is calming down. Picture #2 shows a boy too
anxious to be still on the floor and instead is walking
with Karma over his shoulder. It calmed both of them
(Karma so much she fell asleep). Picture #3 shows
Karma being held in a lap. This was a young man
who was extremely upset and temporarily restricted
to the chair he was sitting in. Karma decided he
needed someone to hold onto. She jumped up – and
you can see that he turned her over and held her like
a baby. After holding onto her for several minutes
with Karma slowly licking his face, he started to cry.
It was the first time he had shown any emotion since
being in the program and it was a therapeutic
breakthrough. Picture #4 above shows how Karma
responded when one of the boys in group became
very emotional as he talked about his abusive
childhood.
This kind of therapy can’t be taught. She’s a natural.
Karma is now 5 months old and closing in on 60
pounds. When full grown she will be more than 100.
We’re grateful that her trainer Heddie Leger taught
her not to jump on people. That’s a lot of
unconditional love for her to give!
What’s Happening with Equine Therapy?
A reality at last! In February Bridle Ridge began providing equine therapy based on the EAGALA model to
adolescents from COMTREA’s residential addictions program. We are now ready to expand to COMTREA adult
clients. It is hoped that in the near future funding will be established to add active military personnel and
veterans. As additional revenue is identified, other clients will be served.