Faculty of Design

Environmental Design

Emma Wang

stable friends

For the past year I have been working on creating an a therapeutic space around people that have physical or cognitive disabilities because equine environments are being used for their healing like benefits. I have a personal interest in inclusive spaces and horses, so this was a perfect match. (pdf below)

“Equine environments are being used as therapy for people that struggle with mental health, addiction, cognitive and/or physical disabilities, such as substance abuse, behavioural disorders, autism, and cerebral palsy. It is not just about riding horses, but taking care of another life. Horses have similar social and responsive behaviours which leads to strong connections. By creating these non-judgmental spaces it allows the individual to grow. With the addition of modified and easy to use hardware it also enables the individual to navigate the stables unaccompanied. ”