  “The
outside of a horse is good for the inside of a child.” Will
Rogers
Episode eleven of Health Vision discusses the healing power
of animals, specifically those designated as support animals. Studies
and statistics have shown that patients dealing with many physical
or emotional ailments often benefit from interaction with animals.
As a result, the designation of “support animals” has
expanded from the well-known use of guide dogs for the blind to
a larger number of animals used as support for people with a variety
of needs. Join host Jackie Wolf, assistant Professor of Social Medicine
at Ohio University; Jane Miller, licensed social worker from Oberlin,
Ohio; and Gretchen Crites a NARHA Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
from Lancaster, Ohio in a discussion about therapeutic animals.
Guests:
Jane Miller is a licensed social worker and certified Qigong instructor
from Oberlin, Ohio. She received her B. A. in Psychobiology from
Oberlin College in 1983 and an M.S.S.A. degree from Case Western
Reserve University in 1990. Jane holds certificates in the following:
Qigong, 1998; Therapeutic Touch, 1998; Reike Energy Healing, 1997;
and The Christopher Method, 1996.
Gretchen Crites is an NARHA Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
and the Director of Helping Hooves, a therapeutic horseback riding
facility in Lancaster, Ohio. The organization is specially designed
for children age 3 through 18 who have life-threatening illnesses
or behavioral and emotional challenges. Gretchen holds a degree
from Otterbein College.
Interesting
facts from the show:
Support animals include dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish, dolphins,
piglets and rabbits and can be found at local shelters and through
veterinarians and advertisements.
Some effects of human interaction with animals are reduced blood
pressure and pulse, reduced respiration rates, lower stress levels
and increased confidence and self-esteem.
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees the right to
use service animals in public places.
At least 40% of people with AIDS in the United States have pets.
— The Delta Society 2002
“A study of heart-attack victims noted that patients with
pets recovered faster and lived longer than those without [them].”
—Spirituality Health Magazine 2002
“The company of animals is good for us, perhaps even necessary
for our health and well-being.”
— Spirituality Health Magazine 2002
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