JOINT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND SCIENCE debate -
Thursday, 3 Jul 2008

Equine-Assisted Learning and Therapy: Discussion with HEALS.

Chairman

I welcome the group, Horse Energy Alleviates Living Scars, HEALS, the president of which is Mr. Kevin Smith. I also welcome Professor Allan Hamilton and Dr. Jane Hamilton from Tucson, Arizona; Mr. Leslie Jones from the Irish Horse Welfare Trust and leader of a programme, based in Moyross, Limerick and Darndale, Dublin; Ms Helen O'Meara from KARE; and Ms Mary Walsh, national co-ordinator of Riding for Disabled Ireland. I thank them all for coming today. I remind the visiting delegation that anyone coming before a committee does not have privilege. Therefore witnesses should be careful in what they say as it could be potentially libellous. Members of the committee have privilege. However, I remind members that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in a way that will make him or her identifiable.

I ask Mr. Smith to commence the presentation on issues that relate to Horse Energy Alleviates Living Scars. He has about five minutes; there will be questions from committee members and then we shall invite other members to contribute.

Mr. Kevin Smith

I have just changed my strategy somewhat, as I realise I cannot say what I have to say in five minutes. Horse Energy Alleviates Living Scars, HEALS, is a voluntary non-profit making body set up in May 2005 to promote the value of equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning. It is an associate member of the Federation of Riding for the Disabled International.

In 2006 local Kildare radio station, KFM, carried an item on an Irishman who went to visit the United States and saw the therapeutic power of dolphins on children. He exclaimed: "This is marvellous. We must get dolphins over to Ireland to help youngsters with disabilities." The manager of the US centre replied, "Why dolphins when you have got horses?" There are two very powerful answers to that and I shall not disclose them for the moment. One is in the physical sense and the other in the psychological sense. Equine-assisted therapy has been applied successfully to many physical and mental disabilities, from amputations to addictions, strokes to psychotic disorders and in a variety of learning situations as well. The national co-ordinator of Riding for the Disabled Ireland is here. This is probably the biggest body in this area in the country, with 80 volunteer groups. However, these are dependent on the grace of riding centres to allow them some time during the week to do riding lessons for 1,000 disabled people. Other bodies are Festina Lente in Bray which is growing, there is a smaller care unit run by Ms Helen O'Meara in Baltinglass, County Wicklow, and Pegasus is a small operation in Grange, County Sligo.

Arguably, apart from the general lack of awareness in Ireland of the value of equine-assisted therapy, the greatest single impediment towards expanding its usage is a shortage of qualified therapists. There is no shortage of horses. This year more than 500 horses that fall below the required minimum standard will be barred from Irish racing. Many of them would be suitable to retrain for the provision of therapy. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust, represented here by Mr. Leslie Jones, has a programme for retraining former race horses for other uses, one of which is equine-assisted therapy and learning. We have built up a good relationship.

We have sought to promote the existing bodies and continue to do so, but we are very honoured to have received the support and practical assistance of the two top experts in the field, Professor Allan Hamilton and Dr. Jane Hamilton, from Tucson, Arizona. Tucson has a population of 1 million, while Arizona as a whole has a population of 4 million, roughly similar to that of Ireland. They came last year and they have returned this year. They have conducted the first certification courses on equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning in the last couple of weeks at the racing academy and centre of education. Incidentally, Tucson was founded by an Irishman, Hugo O'Conor, one of the wild geese, who hailed from Roscommon. Today, Tucson is twinned with Roscommon. Professor Hamilton will issue members of the committee with an invitation to go to Tucson for a civic reception and to see the advanced ways of using equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning. He pioneered its use in the instruction of medical students involved in non-verbal communication and bedside manners and this curriculum is now being replicated in six other medical schools. They have also set up a programme, known as Vision Quest, and have trained 200 trainers and 4,000 children coming out of juvenile detention centres in cost-effective ways. They run unique retreats, using horses to help children with cancer and their families to develop coping skills. Professor Hamilton stated that in hundreds of classes and seminars, he has never seen equine related techniques fail to work in either the therapeutic or the educational settings.

On 9 October 2007, a report in The Irish Times stated that one third of children in disadvantaged areas have serious literacy and numeracy problems, for which there is a definite need for equine-assisted learning. Professor Hamilton wrote that equine-assisted learning has been found to be significantly more efficient than classroom work. In Tucson, Arizona, the school system signs up to various equine operations for services for students during the school year.

The value of the horse in human therapy is immense and inescapable. There is a need for accelerated promotional programmes to raise the level of awareness generally, and specifically in the Irish medical, educational and political professions. Ireland has a big horse population, but not enough relevantly qualified therapists. Qualification programmes acquired are through university equestrian courses, which is vitally important. It is also important to identify more individuals who have the potential to develop equine-assisted therapy and learning services.

We believe the committee's support is needed to allow small amounts of money to be available in grant aid, so that this can be promoted and the programmes conducted. Cost-effective ways of doing this can be examined. Cost effectiveness in running equine-assisted learning is outstanding. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust has run programmes in Moyross, and the head teachers' appraisals in the schools there are quite outstanding. That programme has been ongoing, as has the programme in Darndale.

Two members of the Joint Committee on Health and Children — Senator Prendergast and Deputy Aylward — participated on the first morning of the equine-assisted therapy course. They were very impressed and I told Professor Hamilton that I bet he never had a member of the US House of Representatives and the Senate in the same arena.

Chairman

People often say that politicians here are cowboys, so maybe that is the reason. Mr. Smith quoted Professor Hamilton, so we might hear from him later. We want to invite committee members to comment and ask questions first, and then we will get back to the witnesses.

Deputy Frank Feighan

I welcome the witnesses here today and I congratulate them on a very brief but detailed presentation. It was very informative and this initiative certainly should receive our support. I am from Roscommon and about three weeks ago, the mayor of Tucson, Mr. Bob Walkup, and his wife, Beth, came to Castlerea. It was a wonderful occasion and I would like to welcome the witnesses from Tucson today.

The course should be recognised by the Department and the committee should send such a recommendation to it. I am in opposition, so I will certainly say that the group should get whatever financial support is needed. We are in difficult times, but this is a worthwhile course. If it is in order, the committee should send a recommendation to the Department.

Chairman

I am going through this with the clerk to see what recommendations we can make. If there are any specific recommendations by the end of this meeting, that would be great.

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

The witnesses are very welcome today. We are under time pressure, but I hope they do not confuse my brevity with superficiality. I get the sense that this is an alternative therapy that has been tested in the field and seems to work very well, as human beings vary. We know from our own experience in this country with disadvantaged urban youth that there is a love relationship with bareback horse riding in places like Finglas and Moyross and this must be recognised. How we get to the point where it is given mainstream funding by the Department of Finance is the journey we will have to take. From that point of view, I wonder what the experience is in other countries. If we make a recommendation to the Department of Education and Science that it be mainstreamed so that the group can get access to funding, can we cite the educational experiences of other states? For example, does the state of Arizona recognise the value of this therapy? If so, perhaps the witnesses might provide us with documentation.

The Irish turf industry is uniquely funded by the taxpayer and has produced millionaires on one side and bankrupts on the other, those poor unfortunates who try to bet on horses. However, the industry itself is very productive and valuable. Does the industry contribute in any particular way? With on-line betting in a globalised economy, it does not even make sense to try to tax them due to the haemorrhage effect that would have. Are there other ways of taxing fixed assets and of obtaining finance from a vastly wealthy industry that has received a tax-free ride for the past 40 years? Can we get voluntary contributions from them, or can we tax them in a way that does not damage the industry, but relieves them of some of their surplus wealth to fund the things the witnesses are talking about?

Senator Cecilia Keaveney

I welcome the group here today. I have been involved with horses since I was small. We have a Riding for the Disabled school near Movile in Donegal. Sports capital grants have helped some of the organisations around the country to get physical infrastructure in place. I assume that the equipment grants are there to support the provision of saddles and so on. There was a recent funding move on dogs and children with autism, but funding is generally a bit mismatched. A group is either lucky or it is not.

Taking up Deputy Quinn's point, I wonder what is the role of the industry and its corporate responsibility in looking at the vulnerable people within the industry. I do not say that to deflect the issue, but to look at the reality of the situation. I have been battling for the recognition of music therapy. From what the witnesses said, this sounds more like musical therapy or physical therapy than music therapy or physiotherapy. It is not a four year degree with a two year master's degree. I need some detail on the course. Is it aspiring to clinical change, or it is a therapeutic service that supports a person and helps him or her feel better and engage more? In other words, what qualifications does one have on completion of the course? Even music therapists who have completed a degree and two-year masters course are not recognised here. The Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004 was passed some years ago, but it is not fully implemented yet. I understand even physiotherapists are not professionally recognised. In order to get the funding and the mainstreaming which the delegation seeks, I assume it would have to achieve professional recognition. This recognition has not been easy to acquire, even for the main therapies recognised in other countries. It is easier now that the council is set up for professional recognition.

I am fully behind the objectives and I would be aware of the use of horses and also dogs in hospitals and so on. The best way to proceed on this issue is to tackle the people who are making the money from the industry and encourage them to support the less able, or the people who are more vulnerable in society. I am interested in getting more facts on how I could become an equine therapist and if I qualified, what qualifications I would hold. To what extent are these qualifications internationally recognised compared with other, more recognised therapies?

Deputy Joe Behan

I join other members in welcoming the delegation, especially those who have travelled long distances to be here and I appreciate that they are giving their valuable time to us. I am aware from the primary teaching perspective that the value of therapeutic interaction with horses is now more appreciated by primary school teachers, especially for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The effect this interaction can have is becoming quite a revelation for teachers. This highlights the importance of trying to ensure there is a change of mindset in the Department of Education and Science. This is especially the case given that a request was sent to the Department to allow teachers — particularly resource or special needs teachers — to take leave to attend a one-day course. It is not the case that the teachers were not allowed off for the day. In practice, the Department is quite slow to allow people off for one day to take part in such courses. However, the fact that the Department made the statement that the course involved has no bearing on the curriculum or on the work of primary schools is key. There is obviously a particular mindset in the Department.

This is a topic to which I would not have been switched on until approximately one year ago. The committee has a role to play in trying to influence the Department of Education and Science and the Minister to give more time to consider the potential benefits of therapeutic interaction with horses. I note two of the three centres are in my constituency, KARE in Baltinglass and Festina Lente, outside Bray. I record my appreciation and that of people in the country generally of the valuable work ongoing there. I understand the Irish Horse Welfare Trust has a representative here today and it also does magnificent work. This is a learning exercise for us and it is very useful that the committee had the opportunity to hear the delegation’s presentation and comments. I look forward, if possible, to sending an agreed motion or sentiment to the Department of Education and Science which will progress this valuable work.

Chairman

The clerk has taken on board members' comments and is putting together a recommended wording which we can amend or adopt as we see fit by the end of the meeting.

It is worth noting — I do not know if this includes show jumping, etc. — that one third of sports funding goes to the horse and dog racing industries. This is a scandal because although there is revenue returning from these industries, they encourage people to sit on their backsides, drink and gamble. While there is nothing wrong with an occasional drink or flutter, I do not believe our sports funding should be allocated in this way to that degree. If the horse racing industry in Ireland is watching this committee, which I doubt, perhaps it should examine the valuable work of equine therapy and make a contribution. There is a good deal of money being made by keeping people unhealthy.

These therapies help the physical and mental health of people of all ages. It is worthy, not just in the patronising sense, but also in a real, practical sense. I echo the comments of some committee members. On the matter of a day's leave of absence, the Department of Education and Science tends to move and evolve slowly. If it was left to its own devices, perhaps in 20 years it might allow the request. However, while it will not form part of the recommendation, a message could come from this committee.

There is a situation in teacher training, whereby one is given three days off per year to do a five-day course or a certain amount of work on-line. Perhaps the Department could consider involving equine therapy as part of that allocation. This would allow teachers to learn and also get time off for courses. This is one possible option rather than teachers taking leave on a regular working day. The position of the Department is retrogressive, especially for special needs teachers. I did not see it mentioned, but those working with autism spectrum disorders could especially benefit from this therapy, particularly special needs assistants or teachers.

Regarding the courses the delegation wishes to see — I am acting as devil's advocate — I assume the delegation is not referring to equine therapy on its own, but as a module, as part of psychological or psychiatric training, or as part of another course. I presume it does not see equine therapy as a full degree course.

The University of Limerick has a role in equine science. Would it be the likely centre of excellence that could take on board the work? The delegation mentioned that Waterford Institute of Technology was examining the possibility and that Dublin City University has accepted a doctorate on this subject. However, in terms of achieving an objective as opposed to a wish list, would the delegation be happy to have one centre of excellence as a starting point? The committee might consider the possibility of the HEA making such a recommendation. I am interested in getting the views of everyone and to get some feedback on the work of the groups. I am also interested in the views of Professor Allan Hamilton and Dr. Jane Hamilton. I invite the members of the delegation to respond to some of the questions and comments and then allow some of the others to contribute.

Mr. Kevin Smith

We would be very happy to have a centre of excellence. In the past two weeks we have put together certification programmes on equine-assisted therapy and equine-assisted learning. Yesterday, after a long time, FETAC accepted these programmes for certification. This is the starting point.

To address the comments of Deputy Quinn on Horse Racing Ireland, in another life I ran the Racing Club of Ireland which was the racegoers' body. I persistently tried to get help from Horse Racing Ireland and I worked very hard with Ms Sharon Newsome, the director of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust. The trust is now receiving grant aid from Horse Racing Ireland, which is good. I have tried to get Horse Racing Ireland to accept that its mission statement should not only include horse racing and breeding, but also welfare and even education. Is there anything else to which the committee wishes me to respond?

Chairman

It is up to Mr. Smith.

Mr. Kevin Smith

Senator Keaveney and Deputy Behan were supportive. We appreciate that very much.

Chairman

Perhaps we will work in a clockwise direction. I call Professor Hamilton.

Professor Allan Hamilton

I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to speak. There is a definite sense of communion between Tucson, Arizona, and Ireland. We have many similar problems. We are the same size and we have approximately the same population. We have the same problems with horses in different contexts. We have mustangs that are breeding out of control. There are no options about how to deal with these horses. They either get slaughtered or they have some other job function.

One thing that must be explicitly stated to the committee is we depend on the licensure for a therapist and for a teacher. We in no way endorse or seek to have a separate certification that stands out from those specific professional roles. It is as if we are allowing them to add to their armament of professional skills. That is the model and the equine professional adds to that model by providing the safety.

A question was raised about funding. In addition to having problems with horses, we have problems with our children in the juvenile justice system. In many cases, the courts have decided that these children deserve a second chance and VisionQuest set up the largest national programme. More than 300 horses went through the programme. We used money given to support those children in residential programmes outside prison to help fund it.

Keeping people in prison costs a tremendous amount of money. The recidivism rate is enormous, as the committee is aware. One of the stories that stands out in my mind involved a gang leader from Los Angeles who had killed two people. He was deemed to be almost irremediable and it was considered that we could not save him. He arrived and fell in love with the horses. Finally, he told me that if he knew he could get such a high from horses, he would never have become involved in selling drugs. He worked, earned enough money, bought his horse and took it with him. He never went back to jail.

Those are the kinds of things that equine-assisted programmes can do. We have school systems that support equine-assisted programmes, hotels that offer them as part of the tourism industry and sponsorship from a number of feed stores. These are the kinds of things we look for in terms of a small amount of support. These are non-profit operations.

Chairman

I thank Professor Hamilton. Does Dr. Hamilton wish to speak?

Dr. Jane Hamilton

I thank the committee for its welcome. I emphasise two points. The benefits of equine-assisted programmes have been shown across the board with very young children all the way through to elderly people in programmes and individual environments. It is a cost-effective and accelerated programme. It was an unexpected benefit to find out that equine-assisted therapy works faster, therefore, saving money. There has been some research which shows that this type of programme is more effective, cost-effective and provides opportunities to get people back into a productive situation faster.

I also emphasise that this is another tool, method and item we can put in our toolbox to help people. We very much appreciated the opportunity to train people in Ireland and would love to help more. I again thank the committee for the opportunity to address it.

Ms Lesley Jones

I thank the committee for its time. I will talk about what we have done in Moyross, including some of the programmes we have run with out of school teenagers. In national schools, we ran a programme for a special needs class. There were possibly 20 children in the class who had severe behavioural problems. We were asked how we were going to do this and were told that it would not work. My background is in Montessori teaching. We used tactile methods and introduced rugs, bridles and saddles. We cleaned them and learned about Arab horses, Haflingers and different countries. The children were completely absorbed so there was no behaviour issue.

The next thing we did was bring in the horse. It was a major event when the horse arrived and the children were thrilled with the whole experience. A little girl who did not interact with me in the classroom came out, began to stroke the horse and said "he's so soft". She did not really interact at all in school but she began to speak about how she was in a field of horses and how it was really good. She stayed there the whole time. A farrier was there to put the shoe on the horse. Of course, the lads were all interested in this and wanted to look, have a go at the hammer and see what they could do. We found that they were waiting for us. We did this every Wednesday for six weeks and the school principals asked when we could do it again and how many more children we could do it with. Again, it was literally down to funding. We can only do so much.

We ran a FETAC course with the out of school teenagers. These lads, who had never achieved anything in mainstream education did not have a junior certificate and had possibly been in secondary school for six days, suddenly had a distinction in a FETAC certification with which they were thrilled. This programme was level four and we hope to go on and run level five.

The whole thing was not just about getting the FETAC certificate, it was therapeutic. The children were waiting to come in to see us, getting up in the morning and were motivated. We went on trips — many of them had never been out of Moyross. We went to the Racing Academy and Centre of Education and the Irish National Stud where they were suddenly transformed into toddlers because they regressed and were no longer the big men with the hoodies. The whole experience was so positive that anybody who was there and experienced it could not but say that it was beneficial to the whole community.

Ms Helen O’Meara

I thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to be here. I work for KARE which has centres throughout Wicklow and Kildare, catering for just fewer than 400 adults and children with intellectual disabilities. I work in the equestrian yard in Baltinglass to which approximately 100 people come every week. We sent riders to the Special Olympics in China last year. The benefits of riding are too numerous to mention, taking into account confidence-building, co-ordination skills, balance and social skills. One little girl refused to look at a photograph of herself until she saw one featuring her on a horse. That was one of the first times she admired herself in a photograph.

Chairman

I thank Ms O'Meara for her brief but effective contribution.

Ms Mary Walsh

I thank the committee for inviting me here and I am delighted because Riding for Disabled Ireland has been in this country for 40 years. The medical profession and other people recognise the benefits of riding. Some 1,000 people are riding every week and there are 80 groups around the country. We also have more than 1,000 volunteers. It is an international organisation. I have brought in people from England and international instructors and therapists to interact with our people.

I will give the committee one brief result. I apologise for not filming this from beginning to end because if I had done so, we would not need to give the committee a presentation. It involved a chap named John who is profoundly autistic. If I let him out in the Oireachtas car park, he would run across the top of every car. He could not talk and it took him two hours to come out to us. To cut a long story short, he is a lovely guy and absolutely gorgeous. As a result of riding, he can get into a taxi and go home. He can talk and interact where previously he could only interact with his carer. He can interact with everybody in our group, which consists of 40 volunteers. He can touch them and go on respite. Aged 22, he has never been away from his family home in his entire life. He can now go on respite, pack his bags and head off for two nights rather than one. His parents came to see him recently and his father cried uncontrollably because he never thought he would see the day when his son would have something for himself that he owned and that he is happy. His mother said that she could die happy. I could give thousands of scenarios like that but I will leave it at that. I thank the committee for inviting us and for listening, which I appreciate.

Professor Allan Hamilton

I wish to provide an example of a good study of the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy performed by the University of North Texas. Some 250 schoolchildren were recommended for counselling due to behavioural problems. One group was randomised to two hours of equine-assisted therapy each week while a second group received traditional in-classroom counselling. On objective testing at the end of a 12-week period, the children in the first group showed improvement in 19 areas whereas the children in the second group showed improvement in only five areas. It is a cost effective comparison.

Chairman

Before Mr. Smith speaks, two members have final contributions to make. Senator Healy Eames, who has not had a chance to speak, will be followed by Deputy Quinn. They should be brief.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames

I apologise, as I had an item on the Order of Business. I read the group's submission. I compliment our guests on their presentation and case studies, which highlight the value of this subject. Like other approaches, it applies the merits of a multisensory method to various types of learners, particularly those at the extremities who are often overlooked in mainstream education if, for example, they are disabled or autistic.

What is the take-up of this method in the various states of the US? I congratulate our guests on receiving FETAC approval and certification. It is an important first step because our guests will now have many opportunities within, for example, our VEC system. All VECs are working with the FETAC programme. If they have money, they may decide locally to take this method up.

I visited a County Kildare school for jockeys. Our guests may know it. The participants were approximately 14 or 15 years of age. It struck me that those young boys left school because they loved horses. They had not performed well within the secondary level curriculum. Will the course be made available to them? It should be mandatory as part of their mainstream curriculum. When they burn out as jockeys, they will need vocational opportunities. Unless one is Lester Piggott, a jockey's life will end in one's 30s or 40s. I have researched this matter. Parents have made many calls for the broadening of the curriculum at second level, at which there is under-achievement and a 20% drop-out rate. Since there is merit in making this method optional at second level, our guests should work with that education system. Have they considered using the transition year?

This approach would have considerable merit among Travellers. Moyross is a good example. I taught Travellers and they place significant meas on horses. Could our guests enlighten the committee in respect of any of these matters?

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

My contribution is more of an observation for the committee. Departments in most Western societies are deep silos in that they do not talk to one another, only to the Department of Finance. In terms of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, without taking education or rehabilitation into account, it costs taxpayers €100,000 per year to keep an adult criminal in jail. We should make the three Departments talk to one another to try to make savings. Irrespective of the conclusions the committee reaches after our guests' departure, we should try to combine the Departments in respect of this matter. Perhaps we should discuss it with the Minister of State who has responsibilities within all three.

Senator Cecilia Keaveney

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food should not be excluded. While there is a difference between the Judiciary and the State, information should be conveyed to judges so that, when they encounter children experiencing difficulties in the juvenile liaison system, they can avail of alternatives. For example, a community service order should be applied in many cases, but it is not. On the other side of the coin is the fact that children would also need it.

We are often scared to tell judges what we think, but this approach should be brought to their attention because there are some imaginative judges who, rather than always penalising people, give them a chance to change their behaviour to the benefit of their communities. The committee should consider how to convey this message.

Mr. Kevin Smith

I wish to revert to Senator Healy Eames. Our two courses in the past two weeks were held in the Racing Academy and Centre of Education. In another life, I was involved in the Fettercairn youth horse project in Tallaght. Ms Jessica Harrington and others became involved in the course. Our ambition was to get some of the children to consider going to the racing academy. Last year, I was relieved to hear that three had done so.

On cost effectiveness, I tried to get someone to reduce the betting tax in the early 1980s, a time like now, but everyone told me it could not be done. Fortunately, Mr. Alan Dukes listened and told me that the Government would experiment with the idea for one year. Its cost effectiveness was proved when, after a reduction from 20% to 10%, more money came into the coffers. Eventually, the tax rate was reduced further and eliminated completely. This example proves how cost effectiveness can be achieved irrespective of whether we are living in a recession.

Chairman

I wish to thank the HEALS delegation, Professor Hamilton and the other contributors who educated the committee on the value of equine therapy. While we had an idea in that respect, we did not know about its cost effectiveness and tangible benefits. We will consider a wording to try to stimulate movement within Departments, including the Department of Education and Science.

I thank our guests for waiting, as we had a work schedule to get through since they submitted their application last year. It is good that the other people with the group are interested in this matter. It is a large delegation. I thank everyone for attending this meeting.

Mr. Kevin Smith

Is Deputy Moloney the Minister of State with responsibility ?

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

Yes.

Mr. Kevin Smith

In a note I received yesterday he invited me to meet him.

Chairman

It is good news and shows progress. We will go into private session before moving on to the rest of our business.

The joint committee went into private session at 11.20 a.m. and adjourned at 11.45 a.m. sine die.