North American Tasks Forces

         THE NORTH AMERICAN TASKS FORCES EQUINE RESCUE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

The North American Tasks Forces Equine Rescue Services Program, like all NATF programs, is a Not for Profit program that provides all of its related services free of any charges to all public and private individuals and organizations, as well as to all local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Due to the fact that we currently do not possess an adequate facility to provide shelter, boarding, medical care, food, re-habilitation, no-force re-training (halter, lead, saddle and ride) or the necessary loving environment that is crucial in the rescue/re-hab/adoption process of neglected, abused or abandoned horses, we contract with various facilities and fosters throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas that are in the position to provide these needs. Although the majority of these facilities and fosters are also non-profit organizations, the NATF provides funds through grants and donations to these organizations in order to provide financial support for our rescues and completely fund the entire processes of rescue up to adoption.

Very few, if any, of the horses that have undergone the processes of the rescue services are used in any of the Equine Therapy Programs that we fund or support. Horses that are used in these programs, that include Equine Therapy for Children, Children with Autism, ADHD, Downs Syndrome, Developmental Delays or Terminal Ilnesses are carefully chosen by the horse professional that oversees the horses in any given program. They must be trainable, calm, friendly, kind and above all, they need to like people. They can not be aggressive, easily spooked or head shy. Stallions and competition horses are not good candidates for these programs and rescues rarely fullfil the requirements due to the affects of any previous neglect or abuses they may have suffered.

The American Physical Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association recognize the physical therapeutic benefits of riding horses. The gentle, repetitive motion of a horse’s gait moves a rider’s body in a way that so closely approximates the human gait that it can assist physically disabled persons in gaining muscle strength, imroving their flexibility as well as improving their balance and mobility. The pscychotherapeutic benefits for troubled teens or people lacking communication and social skills are equally as numerous.

Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs are similar to Equine Assited Psychotherapy (EAP) programs in that they both involve the use of horses. While EAL deals more with the “horsemanship” aspect of equine therapy, EAP does not focus on the riding aspect, but in the psychological aspects such as emotional growth, feelings, behaviors and patterns that are learned from the ensuing emotional connection that is made between the horse and the individual involved in or receiving the therapy. EAL and EAP programs are extremely beneficial to children and teens that are experiencing:

• Personal issues

• Focus problems/Attention Defecit Disorders

• Social anxiety/Shyness

• Trauma

• Anger/Acting out

• Grief/Loss

• Poor self esteem

• Substance abuse recovery

• Communication problems

• Interpersonal relationships

• Stress/Burnout