Lisa G Kahle Therapy Horses for The use of animals to provide
service and therapy to enhance people’s health and lives and to
provide greater independence has been practiced throughout
recorded history. Today, many different types of animals –
monkeys, birds, pigs, dogs, and horses, to name a few – provide
therapeutic benefits to humans with physical and mental
illnesses as well as providing assistance to people with
disabilities. For deaf people of all ages, animals can provide
love, protection, and companionship. While the most commonly
recognized therapy and/or service animals are dogs, the use of
horses as therapy animals for people who are Deaf is becoming
increasingly popular. The emphasis here on the use of horses for
therapy rather than is important since the research suggests
that horses are not well-suited as service animals. In fact, the
Guide Horse Foundation (2005), states the following: 1. The
Guide Horse Foundation is against the use of riding-size horses
indoors because of the risk of injury t