Horses Assisting You (HAY) - C.A.T.C.H Program

HAY is a part of our C.A.T.C.H Program (Child & Adult, Therapy, Counselling and Healing). 

Horses teach us about ourselves and help us to learn. While they don’t know why you are in their paddock, they will always give you non-judgemental, accurate, immediate feedback on how your behaviours affect them. Doing activities with them will highlight your strengths and areas to work on, such as, communication, being consistent and relationships.

HAY (Horses Assisting You) sessions help people to manage emotions, face fears and learn how our behaviours affect us and others.  

HAY is a program that is suitable for all ages and issues.  

Our Horse Powered Reading program (HPR) and Horse Powered Maths program (HPM) can help children who find reading and maths difficult. They team up with a “reading buddy” (a horse) and do activities to improve the basics of reading: Phonemic Awareness, Decoding, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension, and  Maths: counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

We can work with individuals, couples, families, groups and teams. It’s a safe way to people to deal with issues like: 

• Autism 
• ADHS and ADD 
• Bullying 
• School refusal 
• Grief and loss 
• Building self-confidence and self esteem 
• Trauma 
• Depression and Anxiety 
• Difficulties with reading and maths

HAY sessions give professionals the chance to learn: 

• Leadership skills 
• Improving team functioning 
• Strategic planning 
• Dealing with change 
• Professional development 
• Conflict resolution 

This “one of a kind” program uses the Eagala Model. 

• Team Approach: A Mental Health Specialist, an Equine Specialist and the horses. 
• Solution Focused: Clients are encouraged to find their own solutions to activities. 
• Focus on the Ground: All activities are on the ground. There is no horse riding. 
• Code of Ethics: Eagala practitioners follow a Code of Ethics. 

You don’t need to have any experience with horses to be part of the HAY, HPR or HPM programs. 

These are programs that are serious and fun at the same time. You will be out in the fresh air. It gives everyone the chance to be themselves. You will have opportunities to practice different ways of being and communicating. 

“The horses taught me that I could be more in control of the outcomes in my life by asking for what I wanted and by giving clear instruction.” 

What to expect

There will be a Mental Health Specialist and an Equine Specialist with you and the horses during your sessions.

You will have activities to do with the horses. You will have time to talk about what happened after each activity. Your “story” will unfold during the sessions. We will plan the sessions to suit your needs. The activities may mean that you will be asked to:

• Solve a problem
• Take risks
• Think of ideas
• Work as a group or on your own

Team

The HAY team includes:

• Certified Eagala Equine Specialists
• Certified Eagala Mental Health Specialists
  
• Herds of horses
  

Referral process

You can call us on 1300 77 33 52 to talk about a referral.

For Professionals:

For further information, please phone 1300 77 33 52 or contact intake@nexusprimaryhealth.org.au 

*These services can be accessed through the Specialist Family Violence Program via The Orange Door. They may also be funded through other programs. Eg: NDIS, brokerage, Targeted Care Packages, self-funded.