It is not hard to understand that kids and teens dealing with social, emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors if they are not guided in a better direction. They will look for their own solutions and these solutions are often not only unhealthy, but can be dangerous as well. These kiddos are
often ostracized, if not bullied, by more mainstream peers who do not understand why they act the way they do and who tend to avoid kids that become the focus of the teachers attention. They end up ‘friends’ with the fringe, those kids who are always pushing the limits and tend to end up in trouble. This puts them in the position of being exposed to more undesirable and dangerous behaviors, impacting them for a lifetime.
This article in News Medical Life Sciences looks at a new study published online in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry that looks at the higher prevalence of regular marijuana and cigarette use into adulthood. Of special interest is the finding that there is “… a crucial need for routine clinical practice to include early screening and interventions to prevent early substance use, including cigarette 
smoking, among children with ADHD.”
We are here to help! Equine Assisted Grown and Learning and PsychoSocial Rehabilitation, can be a very powerful part of a comprehensive treatment plan for those living with living with ADHD.
First we work on minimizing impulsive behaviors, which can worry horses. They are ‘prey animals’ and can become anxious when things move too fast or are unpredictable. We work on increasing focus and the ability to stay on task – 
both skills that are needed for grooming and for mounted work. We help build self-soothing/calming skills, such as deep breathing and visualization, so that clients are better able to manage times when they are feeling agitated/restless. Horses help build self-confidence and 
offer lots of opportunity to hone problem solving/decision making skills.
If you know someone struggling with ADHD, seek help. We are here and would be happy to schedule a visit for you to our ranch. W will show you around, introduce our incredible herd, learn more about what you are dealing with and share how we might be able to help. Call of email us today.