Manitoba Bed and Bale :: ROYCAN :: Portage la Prairie

EQUINE ASSISTED PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

At Roycan’s Country Haven we offer these

“4” Programs under our EAPD Programs

EAPD Programs with our Licensed Clinical Therapist as main Facilitator
EAPD Programs provided for Central Plains Cancer Care Services

‘Kids Can Cope’ retreats
Adult Cancer Get-Away
Adult Grief Workshops
Youth Grief Workshops

Private EAPD sessions. These sessions usually have 2 – 4 clients at one time. Corporate workshops are available for larger groups.
FLF (Four Legged Freedom) Program. This program is designed for individuals that have been diagnosed with the following:

Muscular Dystrophy
Cerebral Palsy
Visual Impairment
Down’s Syndrome
Cognitive & Behavioural Impairments
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis
Spina Bifida and other Birth Defects
Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
Amputations
Deafness/Hard of Hearing
Cardiovascular accident/Stroke

The big question what is it??!!

We use horses to overcome grief, trauma, debilitating psychological difficulties, interpersonal issues and general self empowerment. The age or physical ability of the client does not matter nor does prior experience as all sessions with the horses are done easily and safely from the ground.

The use of horses as clinical assistants allows our clients new opportunities to make deep and life-affirming changes in their relationships with others and inwardly, to accept and be at peace with their inner self.

For many of our clients, being with the horses under our skilled guidance allows clients to experience, perhaps for the first time in their life, what we call a ‘pure relationship’ – a mutually involving relationship with another sentient being without having to worry or fear becoming entangled with the psychological baggage of another person. Our clients are always amazed how the horses appear to magically respond to them or play out what the client is experiencing in their life. The equine-assisted experience is all about contact, connection and influencing each other as opposed to manipulation, domination or abuse.

FLF PROGRAM (Four Legged Freedom Program)

Over the years, horses have played a major role as a healers. Proof of this is found in centers throughout the world that offer therapeutic horseback riding for persons with special needs.

At Roycan’s Country Haven, we are proud to offer the Four Legged Freedom (FLF) Program in order to allow children (4 years and older), youth, adults and the elderly to be exposed to a sense of incredible freedom, joy, excitement and achievement that is uniquely achieved by working and interacting with our well trained horses. Our programs are designed for both working on the ground with the horses and/or riding activities.

Each individual that applies to the program will have their needs assessed by our team of professionals. The team will then design and implement a customized program tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of each client.

Our Professionals:

Candice Kontzie, EAPD Facilitator

and Don Middleton, M.A. (Psychology) Clinical Therapist

Candice Kontzie has experience working with various youth groups through community youth organizations. In addition she’s worked with a student campus in the role of Student Advisor/Coordinator (recruiting/assessing students, dealing with in-house youth activities and problems). The last three years, Candice and Don Middleton have created and delivered EAPD (Equine-Assisted Personal Development) programs with at-risk youth and adults. Candice along with her husband Roy, own and operate “Roycan’s Country Haven”. Their horse experience goes back throughout their 30 yrs of marriage. They raised purebred Morgan horses and trained and showed throughout western Canada and the U.S. including at the World Morgan Championship in Oklahoma City.

Don Middleton has been working with at-risk youth for 39 years including as a school psychologist (13 years), coordinator for youth clinical services (17 years) and a private practice mental health therapist (13 years). Approximately twenty-five per cent of his private clinical practice now involves equine-assisted therapy with both youth and adults. Don is a trauma/grief specialist and a contract clinician for Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Compensation for Victims of Crime, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Blue Cross and a number of other employee assistance providers. Don is also the oncology therapist for Central Plains Cancer Care Services and delivers a number of equine-assisted group interventions for children who have a family member with cancer, adults with a cancer diagnosis and youth and adults grieving the loss of a family member to cancer. Don has paired with Candice for the past three years in developing and offering equine-assisted personal development programs. Don is also an active equestrian.

Karen Saindon, FLF Program Facilitator

Karen was raised on a farm of cattle and horses, where they also bred, trained and raced Standardbred racehorses. Karen was tasked as a little girl with 'quieting' the younguns and exercising the racehorses in the off-season. She soon realized that the pace gait requires level ground, and if you ride a 'pacer' into the base of a hill, the horse will either break into a gallop or fall down! To her grandfather's shagrin, his prized racehorses were quiet, four-gaited trail horses by spring! And so began her journey into understanding the philosophy of movement.

Karen is a Certified Equine Therapist with a full practice in Western Canada and parts of the U.S., using many modalities, including her Certification in CranioSacral Therapy principles, which releases tensions deep in the body to allow all your systems to self-correct. She is a clinician and teacher of youth and adults in therapy and true horsemanship through feel, teaching the human to think like the horse, not trying to make the horse into a human. Karen is member of the teaching faculty with Prairie Winds Equine College, Colorado U.S., a Member of Manitoba's Critical Incident Stress Management Team , and Facilitator of our Four-Legged Freedom Program (F.L.F.), as well as a Civilian Member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Her continuing studies include Sciences, Aboriginal Perceptions, and Communication. However, she believes her 'true' continuing education comes from the horses she has the privilege to encounter each day, whom she says 'quiet' her and keep her humble. They have taught her that communication is influence, not control, and that the Perfect Ride is not what we think; but instead the marrying of life's balance and rhythm to become one in perfect motion.

With this in mind, Karen invites one and all to experience our 'Four-Legged Freedom'.

Darcy Reynolds
BMR PT, FCAMT (Orthopaedic Manual Therapist, Acupuncture Certified)

Darcy attended the University of Manitoba and graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation Physiotherapy. Wanting to pursue a career in private practice, Darcy began working at Portage Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic in May, 1997. He has a keen interest orthopedics and is currently one of only a handful of physiotherapists in Manitoba to complete the Advanced Examination in Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment and has taken advanced courses in spinal manipulations in addition to the general physiotherapy treatment options. Darcy is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapists (CAMT), Canada’s member organization of the International Federation of Manipulative Therapists (IFOMT). Darcy has also achieved the qualifications to perform acupuncture and has been practicing in this area since 1999. He continues to broaden his knowledge base by participating in continuing educational opportunities in the areas of acupuncture, sports, and orthopaedic related courses. Additionally, Darcy’s enthusiasm for his profession and expertise have enabled him to instruct other physiotherapists at a post graduate level as an assistant instructor with the Canadian Physiotherapy Orthopaedic Division, as well as being an instructor for his own educational company, ReynWood Physiotherapy Consulting. Contact Darcy at:

Portage Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic

57 Royal Road NorthPortage la Prairie, MBR1N 1T9

204-239-4730

Sheryl Feller, as a Fellow Certified Management Consultant (FCMC), who offers consulting, education and facilitation services through her firm, Bluebear Enterprises Inc. She works jointly with us to provide Business Workshops in conjunction with our EAPD programs.

MEET THE HORSES!

We have 12 horses that we use in the programs.

The "BLACK MORGAN STALLION" is just one of them. He's 23 years old and very quiet and gentle.