The "Pucará" Municipal Equine Therapy Center has become a model institution that works on the care, support, and education of people with disabilities. Currently, the facility has more than 45 registered individuals who attend daily to undergo the rehabilitation process.
This space is located on the grounds of the Botanical Garden, in Parque San Carlos, and was inaugurated during the first term of mayor Enrique Cresto, continuing the inclusive and social policies carried out by the current administration.
Equine therapy is an equestrian discipline that leverages the affective bond established with the horse to help people with social adaptation problems overcome their conflicts and thus integrate into society in a normalized way. In this sense, together with professionals, work is carried out in this space with the purpose of positively contributing to the cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and occupational development of people suffering from some type of disability.
In this regard, the coordinator of the Equine Therapy Center, Laura Arrizabalaga, valued the work being carried out in conjunction with the Secretariat of Health through the Disability Directorate, headed by Marcelo Primitivo. “It is work that we perform with the aim of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. Through these activities, we work on integration, rehabilitation, and strengthening social bonds,” the professional highlighted.
Next, Arrizabalaga described that “all people with disabilities who attend this therapy have medical authorization that allows them to perform equine therapy. In addition, they must mandatorily present the CUD (Single Disability Certificate). The sessions are 30 minutes long, and there are currently 45 registered individuals of different ages.”
She then indicated that once the patient enters the system, they are given a corresponding appointment to perform the activity. This appointment can be requested at the PROMAR or at the Equine Therapy Center itself.” She also mentioned that the center's objectives are in line with the possibility of offering a space for rehabilitation but also for leisure and recreation, seeking full integration into the community.
On the other hand, she referred to the work that has been carried out in recent years and said that “this place, which we inaugurated during the current administration, was fundamental for the growth of this space. A psychologist, a therapeutic companion, and a kinesiologist were incorporated into the professional team for interdisciplinary work.” Finally, she clarified that “the activities and services provided are free of charge.”
How does equine therapy work?
Equine therapy is a treatment that uses the movements of a horse to achieve desired responses in a person, depending on their disability. The person with a disability can be seated on the horse in a variety of positions, passively accepting the horse's movement.
Also, the horse acts as a dynamic support base upon which the person can coordinate and control their movements. Equine therapy can include techniques to help develop balance and postural reactions.
At the same time, the person with a disability experiences the fun, pleasure, and joy felt when riding a horse, thus providing solutions to the learning and adaptation problems presented by people affected by some difficulty. It increases motivation, stimulates affectivity, improves attention and concentration, and stimulates tactile, visual, auditory, and olfactory sensitivity.
It should be clarified that the sessions are based on the rider's utilization of the horse's three-dimensional movement, provoking stimuli similar to those produced by the human body when walking. It is considered that this interaction is capable of achieving new stimuli complementary to traditional sessions.
JOINT WORK WITH THE EQUESTRIAN RECOVERY CENTER
In coordination with this program, the municipality carries out an animal care policy whose main action is a program for the eradication of animal-drawn vehicles. Within this framework, the Municipal Equestrian Care Center works on the recovery of horses, removing them from mistreatment to give them a better quality of life.
Many of these equines are given for adoption to the Municipal Equine Therapy Center as well as to people with available land in localities of Entre Ríos or to intermediate institutions that use them for a noble purpose.
“With these types of actions, the State is committed to the care and rights of animals, working in conjunction with organizations. One of them is the Equine Therapy Center,” revealed the coordinator of Strategic Affairs, María de los Ángeles Petit.
“The horse is one of the most noble animals and a companion to humans, and it also enables the recovery and evolution of many people through equine therapy. That is why, by decision of mayor Enrique Cresto, the municipality has invested in this space, adding infrastructure and professionals,” she concluded.