Therapists with Hooves

This article is from the September 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Christie Hall, along with her two geldings Bushman and Winston, have a unique and important role; providing memories, smiles and excitement to aged-care and dementia patients across New South Wales. The 40-year-old from Hawkesbury stumbled upon this occupation when her aged-care employers permitted her to bring in Bushman on one of her days off. The results were immediate and immense. It was the beginning of a new chapter and passion for Christie.

Christie, what was your role before your current venture? I was an AIN (assistant in nursing) in aged care, working in high care dementia.

How did the opportunity arise to bring your horse into your workplace? After taking my dog into work quite regularly, I thought I’d ask my manager if one day I could bring my horse Bushman in for a visit. After explaining what Bushman was like, she ended up saying yes. She offered to pay for the horse float hire as I didn’t own a horse float.

How did the staff members and patients respond to Bushman on that first visit? On my first visit, every staff member was in shock but excited that there was a 500kg horse in the dementia ward’s backyard. Every resident was curious and just plain happy. This response from residents was very rewarding because it was a first for Bushman and me to be in a therapy situation.

We had residents leave their rooms for the first time in a long time, we had residents talk for the first time in months and we had residents socialising for hours at a time, which was fantastic to see.

How did you turn this into an occupation? I turned this passion into a business in 2018 after getting injured on the job in 2016. It happened after a phone call from my mum and stepdad, telling me that they are going to buy me a horse float so I could finally turn my horse therapy dream for people living with dementia into a reality. In just two weeks of getting my new float, I had contacted pretty much every aged care facility in Sydney asking if they would be interested in a horse visit from Bushman. I was shocked by the amazingly positive response and the number of facilities that said yes.

When did Winston join Bushman as a part of the team? Last year we had become so busy that I knew I had to get Winston up and going so Bushman could have a break. I was already lucky enough to own Winston and he has been a wonderful addition since I got him involved last year. He has always had a gorgeous temperament and is a very loving horse. I describe him as an old soul and I knew he would make a great therapy horse.

How do Bushman and Winston behave around the patients who can be feeling a heightened range of emotions? They bring a whole lot of calm to the environments that we enter. We spend a lot of time in high care dementia units where residents can be feeling very frustrated, scared, agitated and sad. This is where Bushman and Winston seem to react in a way that is quite amazing to see. They tend to lower their heads and relax their entire body and step into the resident’s space. My job here is to let the boys just do their thing, take a step back whilst always watching our surroundings and make sure residents and staff are safe and happy.

When the boys are around residents who are very excited and enthusiastic, they look to me to guide them. We work together to calm these residents, so that they can have a relaxing session and get the most out of our visit. Sometimes an over-excited resident can be more stressful than a resident who is agitated. In both instances though, both Bushman and Winston have incredible patience and kindness.

What are the most impressive results you’ve seen in patients’ responses? We’ve seen residents all of a sudden start talking, when I’m told by staff and family that they haven’t talked or communicated in months and sometimes years. I also see residents who normally never leave their rooms, come out to us and spend the entire session with us. It’s great to see them socialise, not only with us but with other residents and staff. I also love seeing responses from ‘non-responsive’ residents. This could be a response in the form of them opening their eyes and making eye contact with Bushman or Winston, smiling, crying, hand movements and verbally making noises. For some reason, these non-responsive residents seem to be where Bushman and Winston make it their mission to get a response and they get one every time. Mentally, this takes a lot out of them, but they will still give 110% to every resident.

What considerations do you have to make when bringing the horses inside? My main priority during a therapy session is safety. Before I visit a facility I have to consider the environment, the number of residents, the size of the areas we will be walking through and standing in, and what the level of dementia is; low care dementia or high care dementia. I confirm if they want an inside or outside therapy session. If it’s an inside therapy session, then I take Bushman as he is toilet trained (he toilet trained himself) and he will let me know when he wants to go to the toilet and I take him outside. This makes it a lot easier and there’s less worry knowing he won’t have an accident inside. Both boys also wear Scoot Boots during therapy sessions. This stops any slipping when inside on tiles and lino and also helps to reduce aching legs when standing for long periods of time on hard surfaces.

What have you learnt about the horses’ ability to read people? I have learnt that Bushman and Winston’s ability to read people is a lot more in-depth than what I originally thought. I’ve always known horses are super sensitive and amazingly smart, but I never realised just how much. The way they think, feel and react in certain situations with residents is fantastic. Their ability to get so in tune with a resident that I see a physical and emotional change come over them within minutes, is amazing to witness.

What fulfilment do you get from bringing joy to aged care and dementia patients? I feel a huge sense of pride seeing them in action during our therapy sessions. I feel very lucky that I am able to do what I do and share Bushman and Winston with my aged care community. I am very passionate about aged care and dementia. I do miss being a nurse, but I feel what I am doing now is making a bigger difference for our aged care residents living in facilities.

People in aged care facilities often get forgotten about due to circumstances not always in their control. It’s an amazing feeling reliving a resident’s childhood with them as if it was yesterday. Hearing them reminisce about growing up on a farm or property where horses played such a big role in their happiness. It’s an overwhelming feeling, knowing you are the reason they smile that day from the simple act of visiting them with your horse.

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