Medicine and Horsemanship

The five “patients” are scattered throughout the barn. A group of 18 student government leaders from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine-Middletown (TouroCOM-Middletown) enters the corral, deciding which one to approach. Will it be the chestnut Warm Blood, the majestic Clydesdale or the miniature horse?

As participants in the Medicine and Horsemanship program offered at Raven Hill Farms, students engage with horses as a way to increase their awareness of nonverbal communication and its importance in the physician-patient relationship.

“Horses are honest teachers and are very sensitive to everything they see and feel,” explains Deirdre Hamling, owner of Raven Hill Farms. “Our program provides medical students with an understanding of how nonverbal communications can impact relationships with patients.”

Researchers have even found that horses and humans display similar facial emotions when expressing fear, surprise and sadness. Learning to pick up on these nonverbal cues can help students better understand how to establish trust and respect with patients, Hamling explains.