For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | March 2014
&
33
Horsing
Around:
Equine Therapy Helps
Individuals Heal and Thrive
By Annette Racond,
Staff Writer
Consider Jan Culp a modern day
Dr. Doolittle picking up where Dr.
Doolittle left off. Not only does
Culp talk to the animals, but she
also teaches her clients how to talk
to their own animals. An equine
therapist with more than 40 years
of experience, Culp helps people
became more comfortable in their
own skin through equine-assisted
psychotherapy (EAP), while she
helps other individuals interact and
understand their own horses.
Culp, who works with her husband Ed at Culp Farm in Bowling
Green, Kentucky, explains that “talk
therapy” often only goes so far in the
healing process and, in many cases,
people learn and remember a lot
more through experiential therapy
than they do through talking things
out. It’s also a good addition to traditional therapy. “A lot of my clients,”
says Culp, “like EAP because they
feel comfortable around horses.
Other people find that working
with horses allows them to get out
of themselves and to think on their
feet.” People who have “clammed
up” in talk therapy are often more
relaxed engaging in EAP. It gives
them an opportunity to explore
who they are and to come to terms
with their fears and other issues that
may otherwise be challenging to
confront.
“Horses, in particular, have a
way of opening up people which
lets them feel more comfortable in
their own skin. Horses see through
lies. If you’re not present or you’re
immersed in fear, they’ll know it. If
you’re hiding something, a horse will
often detect what you’re concealing
a lot quicker than many traditional
therapists.” Culp explains that there
are three components to EAP: the
horses, the equine-therapy specialist,
and the mental health professional.
She offers all of these services to her
clients.
Culp addresses the behaviors that
her horses react to when confronting an individual client or a group.
“When my horses are surrounded
by a bunch of people, I observe how
they react since I know the temperaments, personalities, likes and dislikes of each of my horses.” Hence,
she observes behavioral changes in
her animals due to the energy of the
group or even the energy of a single
individual. Her four horses named
Dare, Chance, Cappy and Dealer all
have their own unique and different
personalities.
“What I primarily look for during
my sessions is honesty.” Culp says
she is open about who she is and
who her horses are, and she looks for
that same honesty in the people she
works with on a daily basis. Among
other things, she says she is present
for her clients offering them unconditional love.
“My own history,” she says, “is
filled with abuse, codependency, and
anger which lead me into my own
23 years of 12-step recovery and
therapy work. I know what to look
for when working with clients, and
a lot of what I see revolves around
fear and loss of connection to themselves.”
For example, she says, her friendliest horse wouldn’t go anywhere near
one of her clients who was a young
and handsome male. Culp says she
asked this client to touch this one
particular horse and the horse kept
darting off without even acknowledging him every time he tried to get
near him.
“When I asked my client what
was going through his mind when
he tried touching the horse,” says
Culp, “he said he was off in his head.
I asked him to focus and become
more present. We did some deep
breathing techniques. He made a
conscious effort to become present.
Once he did so, he carried out my
request without a glitch. My horse
connected with him because he was
present and mindful.”
“Another client of mine,” says
Culp, “suffers from Parkinson’s disease and, as a result, walked with a
cane. She was shaky even with the
cane in hand. One of my horses was
so intrigued by her that he followed
her around and watched her every
move. My client was touched by all
of this non-judgmental attention.
This woman was used to getting
attention out of pity and sympathy,
yet my horse liked her for who she
was and not because he felt bad for
her. It brought tears to her eyes.”
Culp attributes much of her own
personal recovery to horses. “Horses
are a huge part of my life and were
instrumental in helping me overcome the destructive parts of