Children and youth here with trauma will soon have the chance to befriend a horse in the virtual world to reap the well-recognised benefits of equine therapy.

Rotary Club of Singapore has partnered with Equal-Ark, an animal-assisted learning centre, to provide equine-assisted learning through virtual reality (VR), the club said on Saturday (June 24).

Interacting with a horse in virtual reality gives participants a chance to prepare for real-life interaction with the large mammal, which can be intimidating or triggering for children with trauma.

The initiative is the first of its kind here incorporating VR into equine-assisted learning for children with mental challenges, the club said in a joint media release with Equal-Ark and another partner, telecommunications firm StarHub.

Equine-assisted learning is known to help children and youth, especially those with mental health challenges, to develop social and emotional skills like confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation.

Mr Lionel Otsuka, the club's director of technology, said: “Before even going into the physical program, we can give (children) more confidence on how to handle horses (by providing them a virtual experience first)."

The club has also teamed up with Mind Palace, a company that provides VR services to dementia patients, to develop a prototype of the program.

Mr Eugene Soh, a Mind Palace developer, told TODAY that he has tried the VR horse with his six-year-old nephew, who “loved” the experience.

CHILDREN’S HOME TO BENEFIT FROM VR EQUINE-ASSISTED LEARNING

Some 70 children and youth aged five to 21 at Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home will be the first to benefit from virtual equine-assisted learning.

In the coming months, the Rotary Club will work closely with the children’s home to calibrate the VR program, considering potential trigger points for children and safety precautions to optimise the experience.

Through the calibration of the program, the club and Mind Palace will also develop an augmented reality (AR) component, which will enhance real-life interactions with horses.

Also, the club has partnered with StarHub to develop a metaverse, where children and youths can engage with a simulated reality of horses.

The VR and AR components will serve as a complement to physical equine-assisted learning, which is widely used in the West as a form of psychotherapy for vulnerable children and youths.

Equal-Ark chief executive Sandra Leong said: “The aim of equine-assisted learning is to extend the behavioural change of the clients from the stables to their personal lives.”

“Horses are highly sensitive and non-judgemental animals, which makes the environment accepting and safe for our clients to work through their struggles without feeling judgement or interpretation by another person.”

Dubbed “At Home with Horses”, the virtual reality program serves as an onboarding process for children before they physically interact with real horses.

Guided by a human trainer in a virtual world, children can stroke the mane of a horse or put their hand on its chest. They can also listen to the horse’s heartbeat.

Children will also learn the safety precautions, preparing themselves for an interaction with a real horse.

Virtually interacting with horses in the presence of a trainer allows children to try interacting with horses in the security of familiar indoor spaces.

Mr Low Kee Hong, the head of the children’s home, said some children may be intimidated or triggered by animals, and the virtual simulations allow the home to select children for whom the equine-assisted learning will be most effective.

For those with an affinity to animals, equine-assisted therapy helps them reduce stress levels, anxiety, and trauma-induced symptoms.

Mr Low said: “The horse’s calmness is a calmness to the child. Every time there is a calming effect on a disturbed or traumatised child, it is already a restoration of some sort.”

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by BY AHN YEHOON BY TAN MING CHUAN

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