news
NOTE: While the newspaper indicated that the Path of the Horse offers therapy, we do not at this stage provide registered therapy services.
The Path of the Horse is a charity run by Dean Mighell helping war veterans
SARAH HUDSON, The Weekly Times
May 23, 2018 12:00am
DEAN Mighell lets out an audible sigh of delight.
“This is nice — instant peace,” he says, greeting his 12 horses on his 12ha Trentham property in central Victoria.
“It’s a happy herd this morning. What would you choose, Canberra or this?”
For 25 years, though, Dean did tread the corridors of parliament houses in Canberra and Spring Street as state secretary of the Electrical Trades Union.
He spearheaded campaigns for workers’ rights, took on some major battles such as the docks dispute, and went head-to-head with some key players in industrial relations.
“I saw a lot of prime ministers and premiers in that time (1988 to 2013),” says the 55-year-old.
“But it was years of conflict and immense pressure, long hours and no time off — when I finished I had 54 weeks of leave owing — and I wanted peace in my life.
“I’d lived a full life and I desperately needed to look after my own health and have a change.”
In a complete turnaround, in 2016 Dean started a charity, The Path of the Horse, on his Trentham property, while also studying equine psychotherapy, trauma training and is now midway through a four-year part-time degree in Gestalt psychotherapy.
Most days of the week he works with war veterans and their families — for free — who are suffering such mental health issues as anxiety or post-traumatic stress, combining equine therapy with more conventional psychological treatments.
In addition, half the participants come from other walks of life, such as domestic violence, trauma, as well as groups including disadvantaged youth and those with addictions and mental health issues.
For Dean, The Path of the Horse has been as much a personal journey of recuperation, as giving back to those who also need help.
While he grew up in Melbourne and became an electrical apprentice, it was in his mid-20s that he was introduced to horses on a trail ride in Strathermerton and one month later he had bought his first horse.
For many summers — while working with the ETU — he would “pack my swag and Kelpie in the station wagon” and work on weekends at the trail ride company, learning natural horsemanship.
“I didn’t see them as a tool to compete on. I was more concerned about connecting with them — if you choose to listen to a horse you will know how they are feeling at that time. It’s a love that has only deepened over the years, especially with my work now.”
Describing himself as a “typical bush rider”, it was this dedication to horses that saw him buy the Trentham property in 2002.
When Dean left the ETU it was serendipity that he came across a documentary on two war veterans riding horses in the Rocky Mountains, in North America, as equine therapy. Immediately it resonated, especially as for a couple of years in his 20s he was a reservist with an Australian Army Commando unit.
“When I was young my dream was to be in the army … It was a big fork in the road for me to choose between commando and the ETU, but I had a passion to look after workers’ rights and that won out.
“When I saw that documentary, it was in that moment that I thought, ‘I can do that, I understand veterans and I’ve got a property with horses’.”
May 23, 2018 12:00am
DEAN Mighell lets out an audible sigh of delight.
“This is nice — instant peace,” he says, greeting his 12 horses on his 12ha Trentham property in central Victoria.
“It’s a happy herd this morning. What would you choose, Canberra or this?”
For 25 years, though, Dean did tread the corridors of parliament houses in Canberra and Spring Street as state secretary of the Electrical Trades Union.
He spearheaded campaigns for workers’ rights, took on some major battles such as the docks dispute, and went head-to-head with some key players in industrial relations.
“I saw a lot of prime ministers and premiers in that time (1988 to 2013),” says the 55-year-old.
“But it was years of conflict and immense pressure, long hours and no time off — when I finished I had 54 weeks of leave owing — and I wanted peace in my life.
“I’d lived a full life and I desperately needed to look after my own health and have a change.”
In a complete turnaround, in 2016 Dean started a charity, The Path of the Horse, on his Trentham property, while also studying equine psychotherapy, trauma training and is now midway through a four-year part-time degree in Gestalt psychotherapy.
Most days of the week he works with war veterans and their families — for free — who are suffering such mental health issues as anxiety or post-traumatic stress, combining equine therapy with more conventional psychological treatments.
In addition, half the participants come from other walks of life, such as domestic violence, trauma, as well as groups including disadvantaged youth and those with addictions and mental health issues.
For Dean, The Path of the Horse has been as much a personal journey of recuperation, as giving back to those who also need help.
While he grew up in Melbourne and became an electrical apprentice, it was in his mid-20s that he was introduced to horses on a trail ride in Strathermerton and one month later he had bought his first horse.
For many summers — while working with the ETU — he would “pack my swag and Kelpie in the station wagon” and work on weekends at the trail ride company, learning natural horsemanship.
“I didn’t see them as a tool to compete on. I was more concerned about connecting with them — if you choose to listen to a horse you will know how they are feeling at that time. It’s a love that has only deepened over the years, especially with my work now.”
Describing himself as a “typical bush rider”, it was this dedication to horses that saw him buy the Trentham property in 2002.
When Dean left the ETU it was serendipity that he came across a documentary on two war veterans riding horses in the Rocky Mountains, in North America, as equine therapy. Immediately it resonated, especially as for a couple of years in his 20s he was a reservist with an Australian Army Commando unit.
“When I was young my dream was to be in the army … It was a big fork in the road for me to choose between commando and the ETU, but I had a passion to look after workers’ rights and that won out.
“When I saw that documentary, it was in that moment that I thought, ‘I can do that, I understand veterans and I’ve got a property with horses’.”
DEAN says while many equine therapy organisations rely largely on the horses, he wants to extend that to conventional treatments.
“Horses are wonderful in assisting in the process, they are not judgmental, they have a constant state of awareness, they notice what is happening with their feelings and that provides a lovely opening for me to start a discussion.
“You can be on a ride in the bush and have a discussion that you would not otherwise have.
“Horses can be therapeutic in their own right, but I wanted to help people with a tool kit to manage their mental health better.
“The tool kits I use, I wish I had known when I was 26. It’s beautiful to get away from it all when you’re hyper-vigilant, anxious or depressed.”
Dean first sits down over a cup of tea with a new participant and then matches each individual to a horse’s personality, adding that only a small fraction of his work is on horseback. The results have been impressive.
“I have an eight-year-old boy who has ADHD and autism and when he started he was unable to focus on tasks and had a lot of anxiety, but now he has confidence and communications skills and can’t wait to go for a ride.
“One woman, Joan, came to me saying she cried all the time and so I helped her figure out what it was all about, to help her find conclusions.
“A veteran with PTSD said being around the horses was the first time since 1993 he’d felt a beautiful sense of being calm and connected.”
Wangaratta Vietnam veteran Ray Howard and his wife, Judy, visited The Path of the Horse for the first time in May. Ray says he used to ride horses but after he was injured badly in the war his body now can’t manage to ride.
“But it was just beautiful to touch a horse again and I could relax and share things with Dean I wouldn’t with other people, especially as he’s got an armed services background,” says Ray, 72. “He’s got a gift of getting through to people.
“My daughter found it and suggested we go. It was important for Judy to be there too because she’s had a tough life with me from the problems I’ve had with the war.
“It’s an experience neither of us will ever forget and Dean said we can go back any time.”
So far, The Path of the Horse has largely been self-funded by Dean — he even sold his rare Harley-Davidson motorbike to pay for a disabled toilet block to be built on the property.
The organisation has a board of directors as well as a dedicated group of volunteers.
Dean works closely with Legacy, Soldier On Australia, the Young Veterans Association and Daylesford RSL, and in coming years he hopes to apply for government grants to build accommodation for participants.
He adds that it’s part of his code of ethics that he, too, undergoes therapy sessions each month with a practitioner.
“You can’t but help be affected by this work. I’m not immune and I never want to be from people’s feelings and experiences.
“It’s a privilege in a whole lot of ways to give support to people when they really, really need it.
“I’ve had a rich and full life and this is a whole new journey that has emerged and now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
“Horses are wonderful in assisting in the process, they are not judgmental, they have a constant state of awareness, they notice what is happening with their feelings and that provides a lovely opening for me to start a discussion.
“You can be on a ride in the bush and have a discussion that you would not otherwise have.
“Horses can be therapeutic in their own right, but I wanted to help people with a tool kit to manage their mental health better.
“The tool kits I use, I wish I had known when I was 26. It’s beautiful to get away from it all when you’re hyper-vigilant, anxious or depressed.”
Dean first sits down over a cup of tea with a new participant and then matches each individual to a horse’s personality, adding that only a small fraction of his work is on horseback. The results have been impressive.
“I have an eight-year-old boy who has ADHD and autism and when he started he was unable to focus on tasks and had a lot of anxiety, but now he has confidence and communications skills and can’t wait to go for a ride.
“One woman, Joan, came to me saying she cried all the time and so I helped her figure out what it was all about, to help her find conclusions.
“A veteran with PTSD said being around the horses was the first time since 1993 he’d felt a beautiful sense of being calm and connected.”
Wangaratta Vietnam veteran Ray Howard and his wife, Judy, visited The Path of the Horse for the first time in May. Ray says he used to ride horses but after he was injured badly in the war his body now can’t manage to ride.
“But it was just beautiful to touch a horse again and I could relax and share things with Dean I wouldn’t with other people, especially as he’s got an armed services background,” says Ray, 72. “He’s got a gift of getting through to people.
“My daughter found it and suggested we go. It was important for Judy to be there too because she’s had a tough life with me from the problems I’ve had with the war.
“It’s an experience neither of us will ever forget and Dean said we can go back any time.”
So far, The Path of the Horse has largely been self-funded by Dean — he even sold his rare Harley-Davidson motorbike to pay for a disabled toilet block to be built on the property.
The organisation has a board of directors as well as a dedicated group of volunteers.
Dean works closely with Legacy, Soldier On Australia, the Young Veterans Association and Daylesford RSL, and in coming years he hopes to apply for government grants to build accommodation for participants.
He adds that it’s part of his code of ethics that he, too, undergoes therapy sessions each month with a practitioner.
“You can’t but help be affected by this work. I’m not immune and I never want to be from people’s feelings and experiences.
“It’s a privilege in a whole lot of ways to give support to people when they really, really need it.
“I’ve had a rich and full life and this is a whole new journey that has emerged and now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
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Horses providing therapy
Find out how these beautiful and magnificent creatures are taking on the role of therapists to help Aussie war veterans.
They say you should never work live on TV with animals, whoever said that has never had the privilege of working with our therapy herd at Path of the Horse.
Channel 9 paid us a visit on Sunday 17 December, 2017 and Dean shared airtime with Daniel, one of the many returned servicemen that has found solace at Path of the Horse.
You can watch the full interview by clicking on the photo below.
Find out how these beautiful and magnificent creatures are taking on the role of therapists to help Aussie war veterans.
They say you should never work live on TV with animals, whoever said that has never had the privilege of working with our therapy herd at Path of the Horse.
Channel 9 paid us a visit on Sunday 17 December, 2017 and Dean shared airtime with Daniel, one of the many returned servicemen that has found solace at Path of the Horse.
You can watch the full interview by clicking on the photo below.
Horses take on role as therapists for war veterans struggling with PTSD
ABC Ballarat
By Jess Davis Posted 12 Dec 2017, 9:58am
ABC Ballarat
By Jess Davis Posted 12 Dec 2017, 9:58am
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Tucked away in the forest behind Victoria's potato growing town of Trentham in Central Victoria is a secluded property where horses are being used to help Australia's war veterans.
Owner Dean Mighell started Equine Therapy because he wanted to combine his love of horses and his desire to help veterans.
"Sometimes it's about finding peace and calm, for a lot of our servicemen and women who have been subjected to some pretty abnormal events in their life," he said.
Mr Mighell knows the pressures of life in the defence force. He served in the army's special operations command in the 1980s.
After leaving the army Mr Mighell found his own peace through a love of horses and thought they would be perfect to help veterans struggling with mental illness.
"I've got a place here in Trentham, the sun's out, we're surrounded by the bush, and some pretty contented horses. And I thought: 'How can I use them?'" he said.
"I got curious about what people do in other parts of the world and how they use horses to help people build awareness and help them with mental health."
After studying equine psychotherapy Mr Mighell discovered why horses had an ability to calm humans.
"They're an extremely aware animal, they're not distracted, they have an ability to regulate their nervous system I just love, and when they're calm with you, you'll get this beautiful long out-breath."
Veteran Daniel Cooper, served in the Air Force in Afghanistan and travels up from Melbourne to take part in the sessions.
"The last deployment I had a really bad car accident and that kind of led to everything else when I got back home, a whole heap of mental health issues," he said.
'The physical issues were there but they're easy to deal with and, yeah, life kind of changed big time from that point forward."
Not only was Mr Cooper left with physical injuries but he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as well.
"Ever since it's happened I found it very difficult to connect with people," Mr Cooper said.
After trying a lot of different therapies, Mr Cooper said horse therapy had been the most useful.
"The way we can interact with the animals while I guess inadvertently treating or addressing some of those mental health problems has been really helpful and a completely different approach to it," he said.
"Where I'm not just having to relive everything over and over again."
Dean Mighell said he hoped equine therapy would become more common in the future.
"I think as word spreads about what we do and how we can help people, people may be more curious about us and give us a go," he said.
"I'd love the army to work with us down the track."
And for veteran Daniel Cooper, the therapy was helping him get life back on track.
"It's a process, but anything I can do like what I'm doing here is definitely making it a lot easier for me."
Owner Dean Mighell started Equine Therapy because he wanted to combine his love of horses and his desire to help veterans.
"Sometimes it's about finding peace and calm, for a lot of our servicemen and women who have been subjected to some pretty abnormal events in their life," he said.
Mr Mighell knows the pressures of life in the defence force. He served in the army's special operations command in the 1980s.
After leaving the army Mr Mighell found his own peace through a love of horses and thought they would be perfect to help veterans struggling with mental illness.
"I've got a place here in Trentham, the sun's out, we're surrounded by the bush, and some pretty contented horses. And I thought: 'How can I use them?'" he said.
"I got curious about what people do in other parts of the world and how they use horses to help people build awareness and help them with mental health."
After studying equine psychotherapy Mr Mighell discovered why horses had an ability to calm humans.
"They're an extremely aware animal, they're not distracted, they have an ability to regulate their nervous system I just love, and when they're calm with you, you'll get this beautiful long out-breath."
Veteran Daniel Cooper, served in the Air Force in Afghanistan and travels up from Melbourne to take part in the sessions.
"The last deployment I had a really bad car accident and that kind of led to everything else when I got back home, a whole heap of mental health issues," he said.
'The physical issues were there but they're easy to deal with and, yeah, life kind of changed big time from that point forward."
Not only was Mr Cooper left with physical injuries but he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as well.
"Ever since it's happened I found it very difficult to connect with people," Mr Cooper said.
After trying a lot of different therapies, Mr Cooper said horse therapy had been the most useful.
"The way we can interact with the animals while I guess inadvertently treating or addressing some of those mental health problems has been really helpful and a completely different approach to it," he said.
"Where I'm not just having to relive everything over and over again."
Dean Mighell said he hoped equine therapy would become more common in the future.
"I think as word spreads about what we do and how we can help people, people may be more curious about us and give us a go," he said.
"I'd love the army to work with us down the track."
And for veteran Daniel Cooper, the therapy was helping him get life back on track.
"It's a process, but anything I can do like what I'm doing here is definitely making it a lot easier for me."
Trentham charity uses horses for mental health work
The Advocate By Rochelle Kirkham
Posted 10 December 2017
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It’s been over one year since Trentham’s Dean Mighell started his not-for-profit Path of the Horse, and he says the experience has not only changed his life, but the lives of others.
Mr Mighell uses horses to help heal those struggling with mental health and well-being. “You can have some really tough days,” Mr Mighell said. “I deal with a lot of different clients; emergency service workers and soldiers to seven-year-old children with ADHD, autism and everyone in between.” Mr Mighell’s journey in the area of mental health began in 2014, when he rode around Australia on a motorcycle to raise over $64,000 for Lifeline. Since then, he has studied at the Equine Psychotherapy Institute and has completed trauma training. “The work some days is wonderful and some days it is really tough,” Mr Mighell said. “You are hanging with clients who have been through a heck of a lot in their life and are still going through a lot in their life. Those days aren’t easy, but it is so rewarding when you are helping someone learn to manage PTSD or bring awareness to issues they have never really understood about themselves.” People from around Victoria travel to Trentham to work with Mr Mighell at Path of the Horse. Melbourne resident Jodie Bracken attends sessions with her eight-year-old autistic son Mitchell. Ms Bracken said it was beautiful to watch her son gain self-confidence. “When he used to go to wash his hands at the mirror he always used to look down and not look at himself, but after a couple of sessions I have noticed he has started to look at himself in the mirror,” Ms Bracken said. Mitchell struggles with self-regulation, anger and anxiety, but Ms Bracken said attending sessions with Mr Mighell has helped him share his feelings. “To actually see your kid smiling and having a confidence boost is amazing,” Ms Bracken said. Mr Mighell has recently worked with a mother and her 15-year-old daughter who were struggling with relationship issues and anxiety. “I picked a couple of horses that I felt really suited exploring relationships… they’re extremely close – they are only two-and-a-half years old but they are inseparable,” Mr Mighell said. “Horses model some amazing behaviour in terms of regulating their nervous systems. In the session, we then invite people to meet the horses, notice the interaction between them, and notice whether they are calm or not. “Then we start to explore their feelings and welcome any feelings in a way that is safe and comfortable for them. For most people that can be a very emotional thing and they say just being with the horse is a liberty and meeting them and patting them can be a really peaceful thing.” Path of the Horses relies on sponsorship and funding to run. Visit http://www.pathofthehorse.com.au/ for more information. |
CALM HORSES: Dean Mighell uses horses to help clients with mental health and well-being issues at his property in Trentham. Picture: Richard Ryan
Dean Mighell and Mitchell
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Support for Trentham charity
Midland Express
Posted on 5 December 2017
Trentham-based charity, Path of the Horse, has helped people of all walks overcome life challenges and that work now has the chance to grow with a $2000 boost through the Trentham Fellowship.
“We aim to assist people of all ages and from all walks of life who seek better mental health and wellbeing. Our work is a powerful, effective and empathetic approach that assists our clients make positive change,” said Dean Mighell, charity founder.
Path of the Horse supports veterans, emergency service personnel and their families and others to better manage conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
The charity also helps young people discover coping mechanisms and assist them to understand their feelings and make aware choices.
The team also works with people with autism, those battling addictions, self-harm, grief and many other conditions.
The fellowship has aided many recipients since it began 10 years ago through the support of the community.
Funds for the latest fellowship were made possible through a big community and raffle night at the Pig and Whistle in East Trentham.
A meat tray and bottle of wine, donated by Pig and Whistle proprietors Peter and Barbara, and a few dozen fresh eggs donated by Trentham Happy Hens’ Kirsty Hickey were on offer.
Proceeds from these raffle ticket sales accumulate until a worthy or needy recipient becomes known.
Recipients take many forms; individuals or families fallen on hard times, local sporting clubs, CFA brigades, and local charitable causes.
Trentham sculptor Ron Davis donated one of his framed poppies along with a piece of his own verse to the cause of Path of the Horse. Zoran, of Frametech in Trentham, in turn, generously donated the framing.
Midland Express
Posted on 5 December 2017
Trentham-based charity, Path of the Horse, has helped people of all walks overcome life challenges and that work now has the chance to grow with a $2000 boost through the Trentham Fellowship.
“We aim to assist people of all ages and from all walks of life who seek better mental health and wellbeing. Our work is a powerful, effective and empathetic approach that assists our clients make positive change,” said Dean Mighell, charity founder.
Path of the Horse supports veterans, emergency service personnel and their families and others to better manage conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
The charity also helps young people discover coping mechanisms and assist them to understand their feelings and make aware choices.
The team also works with people with autism, those battling addictions, self-harm, grief and many other conditions.
The fellowship has aided many recipients since it began 10 years ago through the support of the community.
Funds for the latest fellowship were made possible through a big community and raffle night at the Pig and Whistle in East Trentham.
A meat tray and bottle of wine, donated by Pig and Whistle proprietors Peter and Barbara, and a few dozen fresh eggs donated by Trentham Happy Hens’ Kirsty Hickey were on offer.
Proceeds from these raffle ticket sales accumulate until a worthy or needy recipient becomes known.
Recipients take many forms; individuals or families fallen on hard times, local sporting clubs, CFA brigades, and local charitable causes.
Trentham sculptor Ron Davis donated one of his framed poppies along with a piece of his own verse to the cause of Path of the Horse. Zoran, of Frametech in Trentham, in turn, generously donated the framing.
Horse whisperer making a difference
The Local By Anthony Sawrey
Posted on 28 August 2017
Posted on 28 August 2017
HUMANS and horses as a species have been intertwined for nearly 6000 years and it has been for the most part, a relationship built on necessity. This working arrangement dominated right up until the last hundred years when of course, machines and internal combustion engines replaced them.
But this was not the end of the horse as far as our relationship with them was concerned. They remain as our companions in sports, recreation and in recent decades, as participants in the practice of equine physiotherapy. Dean Mighell, founder and director of the fundraising charity The Path of The Horse is a practitioner of this form of treatment based in the Wombat State Forest near Trentham. The property is known as the John Monash Equine Therapy Centre.
After working in the labour movement for 25 years I decided to get away from the conflict and politics and get some peace in my life. at the same time I became interested in the treatment of US military veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder using horses. I thought "Wow, I have a lot of experience with horses and I've got a beautiful place in Trentham. I'll do something like that here."
Dean began his own journey on the path of the horse in his early 20s. And over the years he continued to develop his skills working on weekend trail rides through the Barmah Forest. But he realised that he did not know enough people with mental health issues and would have to learn more about the profession; especially if he wanted to include horses.
Then while on a trail ride, someone mentioned Meg Kirby of the Equine Physiotherapy Institute, based at Mt Prospect near Daylesford. He got in contact and soon completed it Equine Assisted Learning Practitioner program. He has also completed an Advanced Trauma Training course and continues to study at the Gestalt Institute of Australia. By 2015, Dean began developing his property with facilities for conducting treatment sessions and gradually acquired a motley collection of horses and ponies who love nothing more than to say hello, make friends, get pats and help people heal.
"My herd ranges in age from two to 20. Montana is the youngest and Rocky is the oldest," says Dean, "and they are trained specifically for their role as therapy horses. Most of the work we do is ground work and very gently but the training is really important because safety is paramount physically and mentally for both horse and person. However, I still want my horses to be an inquisitive bunch. They are all very individual and very curious about new people, new opportunities."
But this was not the end of the horse as far as our relationship with them was concerned. They remain as our companions in sports, recreation and in recent decades, as participants in the practice of equine physiotherapy. Dean Mighell, founder and director of the fundraising charity The Path of The Horse is a practitioner of this form of treatment based in the Wombat State Forest near Trentham. The property is known as the John Monash Equine Therapy Centre.
After working in the labour movement for 25 years I decided to get away from the conflict and politics and get some peace in my life. at the same time I became interested in the treatment of US military veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder using horses. I thought "Wow, I have a lot of experience with horses and I've got a beautiful place in Trentham. I'll do something like that here."
Dean began his own journey on the path of the horse in his early 20s. And over the years he continued to develop his skills working on weekend trail rides through the Barmah Forest. But he realised that he did not know enough people with mental health issues and would have to learn more about the profession; especially if he wanted to include horses.
Then while on a trail ride, someone mentioned Meg Kirby of the Equine Physiotherapy Institute, based at Mt Prospect near Daylesford. He got in contact and soon completed it Equine Assisted Learning Practitioner program. He has also completed an Advanced Trauma Training course and continues to study at the Gestalt Institute of Australia. By 2015, Dean began developing his property with facilities for conducting treatment sessions and gradually acquired a motley collection of horses and ponies who love nothing more than to say hello, make friends, get pats and help people heal.
"My herd ranges in age from two to 20. Montana is the youngest and Rocky is the oldest," says Dean, "and they are trained specifically for their role as therapy horses. Most of the work we do is ground work and very gently but the training is really important because safety is paramount physically and mentally for both horse and person. However, I still want my horses to be an inquisitive bunch. They are all very individual and very curious about new people, new opportunities."
