‘My lifeline’: Jacqui Felgate reveals benefits of equine therapy

Aussie TV host Jacqui Felgate has revealed how a unique therapy has helped her reset and clear her mind. See how it could help you.

For Jacqui Felgate, spending time with former racehorse Red allows her to completely switch off from her hectic life juggling career and family.

In fact, Felgate describes Red as her “saviour”.

“He is my lifeline,” the House of Wellness TV co-host and mother-of-two says. “Just being around a horse clears my mind. This old thoroughbred is the tonic to my crazy, busy life. He helps reset my soul in so many ways.”

Felgate’s experience is far from unique – a University of New England study has found working alongside horses can do wonders for your physical and mental health.

Even being in the presence of horses, without undertaking specific tasks, “may help to relax and calm otherwise anxious clients more than in the same context without a horse”, researchers found.

Jacqui Felgate describes her former racehorse Red as her “saviour”. Picture: Racing Victoria

So it is no surprise that equine-assisted therapy programs have reported a growing demand for their services, particularly since the pandemic.

One such organisation is Racing Hearts, which uses equine therapy to support people working through stress, whether brought about by emotional, physical, behavioural or cognitive issues.

This includes domestic abuse victims and people with ADHD, as well as people who are and have been bullied, are neurodivergent or suffer from anxiety.

Racing Hearts founder Lisa Coffey says the organisation brings horses and people together to help reduce stress and increase empowerment.

“It is horses helping humans,” Coffey says. “We have a team of qualified mental health professionals who see people in our local communities who have mental health issues.

“But instead of seeing them in the confines of four walls, we’ll see them on multiple farm locations, working with a team of retired racehorses.”

Racing Hearts uses different methods in its therapy, with clients doing everything from grooming and riding the horses, to completing chores at the stables and learning how to approach the animals safely.

Coffey has witnessed non-verbal students begin communicating around the horses and students who have not been attending school, start turning up to her programs.

“These horses will do things with our students they would never do with me,” she says.

5 WAYS HORSES CAN HELP HEAL YOU

Jacqui Felgate says being with her horse Red is the one time when she can clear her mind. Picture: Racing Victoria

SWITCH OFF

Surrounding yourself with horses can assist in reducing stress and anxiety. “There is one time when I don’t think about the world around me – when I clear my mind, switch off and focus on something else,” Felgate says. “It’s when I’m with my horse.”

CALM DOWN

Starting with breathing exercises, the team at Racing Hearts settle their clients by reconnecting them with the sounds of nature.

Some of the neurodivergent kids experience tics and have a tough time standing in one place. But as soon as they meet the horses, it is as if they have “hit an off switch” on their nervous system, Coffey says.

“It’s really incredible; you can just see their whole body physically relax, and their muscles relax, and they’re able to sit still.”

EMOTIONALLY CONNECT

For kids who have cognitive issues or need assistance identifying their emotions, working alongside horses “helps the children understand what feelings they are actually experiencing”, Coffey says.

“Instead of getting confused about whether they’re angry or upset or hurt, they’re actually able to identify what the emotion is,” she says.

The kids are then “able to express that emotion in a really healthy way with communication”. This promotes boundary-setting with others, which in turn allows them to respect boundaries set by others and keep themselves safe.

SPEND TIME OUTDOORS

A key role in helping improve mental health is by increasing physical activity.

“(Racing Hearts) helps our clients use their five senses to really connect with nature and connect with what their physical experience is of being outdoors,” Coffey says.

Moreover, riding horses can improve your overall nervous system, help you reconnect with your core and relax muscles all at once.

BECOME MORE EMPOWERED

Horses are not small animals, which may come across as intimidating to many. But the beauty behind equine therapy is developing skills for self-empowerment.

“For the kids that have either been in family violence situations or those that are still living in unhealthy family environments, it helps them to understand how they can keep themselves both physically and emotionally safe,” Coffey says.

Discover more mind and body wellness tips in the November edition of Wellness+, available in this week’s Sunday News Corp metropolitan papers or at your local Chemist Warehouse store.