A good idea for my American readers... Fighting cancer with love and horseback riding

Cancer Patients Riding to Recovery

As you all know I am dedicated to fighting cancer with love,  art and fun.  But recently I've noticed that there are a lot of therapy pets figuring in conversations with people.  And then Jenny wrote this to me from America. I hope we have similar things in Yorkshire. We should. She writes:

Alternative medicine goes beyond herbs and other potions. It is becoming more and more apparent, and more quantifiable, that animals and the arts are saving lives. Let’s take animals, and in particular horses in this instance. Many children and adults have seen how guide dogs help the visually impaired or reading dogs give confidence to children who find it hard to read aloud.

For cancer patients, any kind of animal-based therapy can help raise morale and improve overall feelings. This is important because studies are showing the positive benefits to a person’s health brought about by just feeling good. This can improve survival rates and recovery rates. Furthermore, equine therapy is shown to help people recover their sense of balance, coordination, and independence after a long time in treatment and recovery.

Horse-based therapy takes the form of a relaxing, animal-filled area, horseback riding, and music therapy. This is offered by organizations such as Dream Rider Equestrian Therapy and Rocky Mountain Riding Therapy in the United States. To find out more, check out this guide on how horses are helping cancer patients.