Therapeutical Horse Riding was considered to be a healing procedure even during the 5th century B.C. The horse becomes a part of disabled people's body helping them to feel and obtain new experiences, especially, for their physical and personal independence. When the horse is moving it mimes the human pace transferring to the disabled person's body the same feeling a person with normal movement has when walking. In that way, all the muscles of the body are growing. In addition, their bodies are trained and become significantly stronger. Furthermore, being in an up-straight seated position helps their breathing to be done easier. This way of therapeutical procedure is much more different from all the trainings in water pools, special gyms, or/and physiotherapy labs where disabled people are usually treated. Using heating, team spirit, the horse's movement, the feeling of playing, and the opportunity to come closer to people Therapeutical Horse Back Riding posits several advantages such as: increase of symmetry, improvement of balance-posture, control of the head, decrease of spastic behaviour, increase of breadth of movement, improvement of coordination and mobility, increase of attention - of visual ability and the ability to orientate, improvement of the perception of the body; as well as ; activation, alertness, sociability, and self-confidence (balance and self-respect).
Therapeutical Horse Back Riding is indicated for the rehabilitation of diseases such as: brain paralysis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, strokes, epilepsy, polio, blindness, deafness, arthritis, absence or deformity of limps, learning incapacity, Dawn Syndrome, autism, behavioural problems.
A number of horse trainers, psycologists, physiotherapists, social workers, and assistant- volunteers are working very hard to have good results in this activity. What is missing is an active group of volunteers that could help for the increasing needs of the association. Éf we only think that for every person in one horse, a trainer and two volunteers-assistants are needed, we will understand why more and more volunteers are needed in TRAG.
TRAG is located in the city of Athens, in the Municipality of Halandri, donated to the organization. Athens is the capital of Greece. Athens is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. It is clear that it is possible to mobilize Greek society on humanitarian and social issues. The concept of volunteering and charities in Greek society is growing and becoming more and more popular, especially among the youth. Programs such as EVS have been increasingly successful in Greece.
B. Proposed activities for international volunteers
TRAG needs volunteers because the disabled people asking for treatment are becoming more and more and it is very important for every single "patient" to have its own assistant volunteer. Nothing too complicated is requested from the EVS volunteers. Anyone can become an Assistant -Volunteer without having to know horse riding, or being experienced with disable people. After some time spent as an Assistant -volunteer, someone can be even "horse driver" after a specific training. All someone has to have is enthousiasm, panctuality, love for the human being and willigness to cooperate. A very important factor to their active help is the training that the EVS volunteers will have from TRAG's trainers. The relationship that disable people devoloping with their assistant- volunteers is very strong and personal. Even those patients that are having serious problems with limited grip and attention and gradually recognise the face of their personal assistant volunteer and react to a happy and cheerful face. And, of cource, there is nothing so rewarding as the progress that someone can see as days are passing, not only at these people's moving abilities but also at their self confidence and their social integration.
Volunteers hosted in TRAG will have the possibility to live a strong experience that will help them in their personal growth and maturity. They will have the chance to learn how everyday life with people with special needs can enrich them. They will understand that often the simpliest things, like standing on a straight-line form, can make others' lives better. Furthermore they wiil have the opportunity to gain the knowledge of how to treat a horse that has a therautical role, being assistants to disable people that want to do something different than just visiting ordinary health centers and at last but not least be ïäçãïß of such special horses and people.
Volunteers, working beside professional staff, will be involved in every day's care of the horses but mostly they will be trained as Assistant-Volunteers so that they will have their own special people to help while riding the horse. Of course volunteers will be all the time under the consideration and åõèýíç of the couch or the therautical trainer . So they will gain an informal learning experience, in a new theraputical field which is very famous in other European countries. Moreover they will have the opportunity to get to know the greek way of life, while living so close to Greek people and Athens.
Volunteers will be involved in the following activities:
1) At the beginning they will take a training of how to react towards the horses, what are the horses' needs, how to take care of them. In addition they will learn how to help and support the disable people that are visiting the centre, some more specific clues for every different illnesses that Therautical Horse Back Riding can relif. This training will last about one week.
2) After the training days they will follow evey days plan and activities. The day starts with horse-grooming and preparation of the horses for back riding. At about 09:00
Volunteers will always be accompanied by the coordinator of the project or the tutor that the co-ordinating organisation will set there in order to help and support them. They will control the tasks of the volunteers and their work will never involve job substitution; after all a big number of volunteers are helping the disable people while riding. Volunteers are supporting TRAG's activities, as it is a non govemental organisation with a very low annual incoming budget and a huge budget of expences for the horses care, assistant-volunteers training, trainerslong life trainings etc.
The first ten days volunteers will follow an intensive course of Greek language organised by the co-ordinating organization. The language training will continue for three hours per week. During the same days they will have the possibility to visit Athens and to be supported by CVG's tutor.
The volunteers will be accomodated in TRAG's estate. There is a small container with a private WC and shower, a Kitchen which stands as a dining room too and a shared bedroom for two. They will have meals in their own place, bought and prepared by themselves.
Volunteers will have the possibility to make excursions, visit small towns around Athens and of course take advantage of all the chances that life in a country's capital can offer.
At the beginning, volunteers will be provided with a training, that all Assistants-volunteers are attending before came closer with the horses or the people taking therautical care.
It is therefore vital that volunteers on arrival speak out on whether they have special interests which can be met by the host project. Regular evaluation will be made with the volunteers and should they wish to change their work schedule this will be taken into consideration and everything will be done to meet their wishes.
C. Target group
The volunteers' recruitment takes place through our international partners, who test the actual availability, reasons and motivations of the applicants. It is important for the volunteers to know that they will work together with at least two other international volunteers.
Moreover it has to be stressed out that there is a major difference between staff and volunteers, as no responsibility will be put on volunteers. They will be assisting the staff in different units of KEPEP.
It is important that the volunteers be aware of the fact that they will live in a small community and will work with seriously handicapped and mental disabled people. Volunteers should be patient and resistant to psychological stress and ready to help with smile, love and creative proposals to help these kids. An internet/telephone conference will take place before their arrival in Greece.
A very important and involable rule is that the volunteers are not under any kind of drugs addiction, since KEPEP is a medical centre where somebody may have contact with them. Of course all these drugs are highly protected by the stuff but we do not wish to be in this kind of trouble in any way.
D. Special needs (if applicable)
This project is already for special needed people, so it is too early, at this moment, to host special needed volunteers too.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=34000136018