An OTA Student’s Journey at Mane Stream
“I want to thank all of the staff at Mane Stream for welcoming me into their family. They all provided such a strong support system and treated me not as a student but as one of them. What I have learned here is invaluable and will forever be appreciated. Thank you again for making my first fieldwork opportunity the best that it could be!”
- Carolyn
Did you know that Mane Stream is a clinical education site for occupational therapy programs in the tri-state area?! Students come for 8, 10, or 12 weeks to learn about occupational therapy and equine movement as a treatment tool. Our most recent OTA student Carolyn was with us for 8 weeks and boy did those weeks seemed to fly by for us at Mane Stream! Director of Therapy Services, Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCS relayed, “Carolyn was a pleasure to work with over the past 8 weeks. Having a fieldwork student who is also a CTRI (let alone a horse person!) was extremely beneficial and helpful. I am grateful for the time Carolyn spent with us as not only did she learn from us, but I also learned from her (for example, I sound like an owl when I ask "who" questions!).”
Carolyn’s fieldwork educator, Mane Stream OT, Gina Taylor, MS, OT, HPCS commented, “Carolyn came to Mane Stream on her first OTA fieldwork placement and gained skills that will improve her abilities to provide occupational therapy services to pediatric clients. A fieldwork site is a place to learn and grow from student to clinician and Mane Stream provided the grounds for Carolyn to help take that next step.”
CAROLYN’S STORY:
What did you learn?
There was so much to learn during this fieldwork and there is so much I still have to learn about occupational therapy and equine movement as a treatment tool! Even coming in with the background I have in adaptive horsemanship and occupational therapy, there was still so much to learn and each week Gina challenged me to think more critically by changing my perspective, adding another clinical piece to my sessions, or by exploring other ideas. Field work at Mane Stream showed me that there are so many pieces of the puzzle that come together which you cannot experience in a textbook or a mock treatment.
One thing that I learned that I could not have picked up in the school setting was about the dynamics of working with and transitioning through multiple environments. It's one thing to work in the clinic where the only factors are the tools in the clinic, the therapist, and the client. When utilizing equine movement, this dynamic is magnified. Although I work with horses and I was familiar with the input they provide to their riders in a therapeutic sense, I was never really educated on the various types of movement until Gina showed me. Gina taught me about footfalls and the vibration that travels to the client; how fast they are moving and how their speed propels the client and subconsciously encourages them to engage their muscles; how alternative positions can benefit different muscle groups and engages the sensory system in various ways; and how the body heat of the horse can also benefit the client. Additionally, you then also have all of the sensory of sights, sounds, and smells when you are working outside and the social aspect of interacting with multiple people all at once.
Carolyn didn’t just spend time with OT clients. She also enjoyed being able to observe other disciplines such as speech-language pathology and co-treat alongside Mel. She said, “there was so much to learn about and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see the extent of speech-language pathology. My observations and co-treat with speech-language pathology gave me a new perspective on the treatment they provide.”
When asked about working directly with the clients in therapy sessions Carolyn said, “I made connections with all of the kids! They were all so great, willing, and flexible to have a new friend to play with during their sessions. I enjoyed getting to know each of them and planning fun sessions that benefit them in their therapy goals. Every moment was memorable as each of them was a learning opportunity, full of fun, laughter, and friendship, and every moment challenged me to become a more experienced practitioner.”
FINAL PROJECT
Mel provided the idea for my final project and I helped bring it to life. The idea was to continue to build an inclusive environment at Mane Stream by providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds to be able to experience the farm. On each stall there is a plaque with details of each horse with their name written in Braille. There is also a QR code for each horse that you can scan to see how to finger-spell their name in American Sign Language and then a demonstration of the sign we created for each of them. In the description of each video, you will also see the reasoning behind the sign we chose for them. These signs are also around the facility for different objects and rooms, and include how to say the object’s name in various languages.
Mel was thrilled with how Carolyn’s fieldwork project turned out from concept to completion and she wishes her all the best on the rest of her occupational therapy journey!
