BRIDLE PATHS
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Mission Statement
Bridle Paths is a nonprofit organization that offers authentic connections, in partnership with horses. Our mission is to offer strength, support, and healing to individuals and families through safe, effective, and high-quality equine-assisted services (EAS). We provide adaptive horseback riding instruction, equine-assisted learning, and equine-assisted psychotherapy services to individuals and families faced with physical, cognitive, psychological, and emotional needs. The program serves those with a wide variety of challenges, including attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, cognitive impairments, anxiety and depression, genetic disorders, seizure disorders, brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and trauma. It is our vision to sustain an environment and an opportunity for our clients to connect, communicate, and trust, in partnership with horses. Our work is guided by our values, which include: (1) respect for the individual, both human and equine; (2) focus on abilities and possibilities, rather than on labels and diagnoses; and (3) delivery of safe, ethical, and emotionally-attuned services. Bridle Paths serves children and adults, both civilian and military, who have challenges that are often invisible - attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety and depression, seizure disorders, self harm, suicidal ideation, brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, and trauma. We recognize that this is a disparate list of diagnoses and challenges, many of which result from racism or sexism experienced in the community, experiences of childhood abuse or neglect, and the judgments and expectations that are placed upon us in various aspects of our lives. Of course, these challenges have only been exacerbated by the persistent isolation and dislocation of the pandemic. In each of our programs (adaptive riding, equine-assisted learning, and equine-assisted psychotherapy), we provide emotionally-attuned services that focus on the cultivation of relationship, communication, connection, and trust. For almost every participant in Bridle Paths' programs, the progression follows a consistent path. First, participants find a place where they can simply be and breathe and be in the present moment. From that place of presence, they can begin to think. Bringing the prefrontal cortex on board in relational interactions is a critical step for participants who come to us with experiences of trauma, or with debilitating anxiety or depression; when participants have an experience of felt physical and emotional safety in our space, sympathetic nervous system responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn diminish and reasoned responses can occur. Once participants are able to think clearly, they can learn; as they learn, they become able to do. Participants become better able to identify their needs, ask for help, and attempt more flexible ways of responding to emotional upheaval and life challenges as a result of their participation in our equine-assisted services program. Horses are uniquely suited to partner with humans in building connection, communication, and trust. As prey animals, horses are exquisitely attuned to their surroundings, and they offer and respond primarily to nonverbal communication. Like many participants with trauma histories, horses possess a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to their surroundings. As herd animals, horses seek safety and companionship, and they assume particular roles within the herd structure. Additionally, they live in the present and respond with honesty and authenticity, thus offering humans multiple opportunities to grasp and integrate the horses’ modeling and real-time feedback. Relationships with horses are built on trust and authenticity, rather than on fear or control. In relationships with humans, behavioral or emotional options may seem limited, seemingly requiring actions that are disconnected from the true self and authentic feelings. With horses, by contrast, it generally works best to “come as you are” and “be who you are” – not perfect, just present. The skills and strengths fostered during our sessions are generalizable to interpersonal relationships in many ways.
About This Cause
PRIMARY PROGRAMS: The services that Bridle Paths provides include the following: ADAPTIVE RIDING programs at Bridle Paths offer riding instruction to children and adults with physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional needs. Each lesson is adapted to the unique physical and emotional needs of the individual rider, and builds communication, connection, and relationship. In addition to mounted instruction, lessons incorporate groundwork in horse care and horsemanship. Whether through mounted work or on the ground, our instructors offer lessons in an emotionally attuned way that we believe is one of the hallmarks of our Adaptive Riding services, and of our program as a whole. We strive to meet riders where they are, not only in a comprehensive sense as outlined in client documentation, but also in an evolving sense during lessons. For example, we may work with riders to determine whether to modify a particular lesson to focus on relational connection with the horse on the ground, rather than on riding skills, based on what’s going on for them at that time. Each lesson is staffed with a PATH, Intl. certified instructor and trained and committed volunteers to ensure that lessons are conducted safely. Volunteers serve as horse leaders and side walkers and offer support in the barn for grooming, tacking, and social connection. Of course, the most important staff members in each lesson are our horses! Each of our therapeutic mounts is carefully selected for temperament, training, and quality of movement, and is generally nonplussed by lesson sights, sounds, and activities. We offer both private and semi-private lessons that are an hour in length and include both unmounted and mounted components. Most of our Adaptive Riding students participate in weekly private lessons. Where appropriate, we may place riders into group lessons to facilitate the accomplishment of social and communication goals. EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (EAP) is an experiential therapeutic approach that addresses treatment goals using collaborative efforts among a horse professional, licensed therapist, the horse, and the client. Each client-driven session includes hands-on activities with the horses, as well as processing feelings, behaviors, and patterns. In EAP sessions, clients interact with the horses on the ground and use nonverbal communication, problem solving, and creative thinking to address a variety of mental health and developmental issues. These activities provide a context for clients to learn about themselves and connect to their story in a way that often is not possible in a traditional office setting. The meanings that participants give to particular activities or interactions with the horses can yield insights into patterns of behavior and relationship to self and others. Horses are uniquely suited to partner with humans in building connection, communication, and trust. As prey animals, horses are exquisitely attuned to their surroundings, and they offer and respond primarily to nonverbal communication. Similar to many of our participants with trauma histories, horses possess a heightened awareness of and sensitivity to their surroundings. As herd animals, horses seek safety and companionship, and they assume particular roles within the herd structure. Additionally, they live in the present and respond with honesty and authenticity, thus offering humans multiple opportunities to grasp and integrate the horses’ modeling and real-time feedback. Relationships with horses are built on trust and authenticity, rather than on fear or control. In relationships with humans, it is often the case that we perceive our behavioral or emotional options as limited, seemingly requiring us to act in ways disconnected from or even disavowing of our true selves and authetic feelings. With horses, by contrast, we do best to the extent that we can come as we are and be who we are – not perfect, just present. During EAP sessions, horses will provide honest and non-judgmental feedback regarding what is happening emotionally and/or behaviorally for participants. And horses do best when the humans with them are honest about what they’re experiencing in the moment. This can help participants to be present and connect more deeply with what’s happening for them. The EAP process is solution-focused and is considered a short-term or “brief” approach designed to activate the client’s own healing resources. We offer EAP services to individuals, couples and groups. EAP sessions with private clients are scheduled on weekdays; precise schedules are determined by client needs and availability and the schedules of referring mental health providers. We serve new adolescent, teen, and adult clients through self-referrals, as well as through partnerships with other referring mental health professionals. EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING (EAL) offers opportunities for hands-on learning opportunities with our equines, to help participants learn about themselves and their relationships. Among the foci of these groups are: cognitive and physical development, executive functioning skills, and emotional and social development. We offer programs for survivors of traumatic brain injury, individuals with social and communication challenges, veterans and service members, and businesses. EAL groups are tailored to the specific needs of each group. Groups are facilitated by qualified teams consisting of an equine specialist, a certified professional in mental health and/or education, and trained volunteers. EAL groups are scheduled according to the needs and availability of participants and facilitators. Bridle Paths Executive Director Kathleen Fallon holds certifications as a Masterson Method Equine Specialist and in EAL from the Human Equine Relational Development (HERD) Institute, and also serves on the EAL faculty for the HERD Institute; she incorporates these skill sets into the design and delivery of EAL programs. Bridle Paths received a grant from a local charitable organization in 2022 to design and delivery the Horses with Heart, an EAL program for children and teens with depression, anxiety, and self-harm and their families. These two-hour experiences with horses are designed to enhance mindfulness, build clear communication, and facilitate authentic connection among family members. Bridle Paths also offers EAL sessions for residents of local residential behavioral health care facilities. MILITARY SERVICES - Bridle Paths has served veterans, service members, and military families referred by various nonprofit organizations, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, and certain military medical facilities, at no cost to them, for the past several years. Bridle Paths offers weekly therapeutic riding and horsemanship sessions and one-time visits for individuals and families that address physical, cognitive, social, and recreational goals. Additionally, we have private funds available to provide equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions for military families, staffed by an equine specialist and a licensed mental health professional. We recognize that the population of military families in this area is large and growing, and that trauma-informed mental health and related services and family support are underserved needs at this time. Bridle Paths has four times received funding through the Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant Program to offer eight-week EAP groups for veterans and service members referred by area military medical centers and the D.C. Mayor's Office of Veterans Affair. These groups implement a comprehensive recovery program for veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces recovering from the lasting effects of combat-related traumatic brain injury, substance use disorders, military sexual trauma, moral injury, and post-traumatic stress. Our approach extends beyond a singular focus on a particular incident or specific trauma and is informed by an understanding of trauma as more than an event experienced in the past; it is also the imprint that is left by the experience on the mind, the body, and the nervous system. Our orientation in these sessions centers on growth, recovery, and transformation. We support and encourage veterans to deal with past traumas while also discovering their underlying strengths, consistent with our post-traumatic growth orientation.