First Pilot Project takes place in Italy: “Horses and Butterflies”

First Pilot Project takes place in Italy: “Horses and Butterflies”

8 January 2020 News 0

In December, the first Pilot Project in the framework of SPHERE “Horses and Butterflies” started in Italy, organised by Umbria Regional Committee Italian Equestrian Federation (CR FISE Umbria).

The Project targets Anorexia. It is a a severe mental illness, whose patients have a disturbed relationship with his/her own body, weight and body image. Patients need a multifocal therapy and specific rehabilitation programs.

After an introductive meeting, managers of the Equestian center and sport coaches are supporting patients in their sport rehabilitation programme, encouraging them to build relationships with the horses involved in Equestrian Vaulting activities.

The Equestrian Vaulting is a motor activity based on his own body awareness together with an emphatic relationship with the horse. The horse walks while the patient on his back perform simple gym exercises to the sound of music.

All people come together to the Equestrian Centre, after having had the first clinical and psychological examination in the specialist surgeries.

The group is followed by the scientific committee of ECOS and by two equestrian coaches, qualified from Italian Equestrian Federation (FISE) and International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

Each training session includes:

  • a short warm up;
  • a data collection programme (psychological observation);
  • a specific equestrian vaulting training;
  • a specific nutritional program will take place every day during all the program.

At the end of the program it will be organised a workshop to show the final results of the project and an Equestrian Vaulting Exhibition that will take place during one of the most important equestrian events in the Umbria Region.

The Italian Superior Health Institute is the supervisor of the project regarding the data collection and processing.

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