Animal Training Helps People With Disabilities
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Unlike other people who use animals in therapy, Josef Rivers doesn’t train animals to work with people who have physical disabilities. He teaches people with disabilities to train animals like camels, yaks and even exotic chicken breeds. Without realizing it, the trainers receive a therapeutic benefit. They build muscles, develop fine motor skills and balance, and best of all grow in self-confidence as they concentrate on things like getting a donkey to jump a rail or train chickens for a “chicken circus”.
It’s all about focusing on something other than the disability, Rivers says. He understands. The 74-year-old has lived with polio since he was 8 months old. As a boy he was shy and awkward, but fortunate to live in exotic places like Bolivia where his best friends were baby jaguars, monkeys and macaws. His mother died when he was young, and Rivers’ father, Walter, recognized his son’s connection to animals. He told Rivers that everyone has a “dragon to slay” – something that holds you back from loving yourself and, therefore, others.
That insight became the force that drives Rivers. For nearly 40 years, he has directed the Dragon Slayers therapy program on 24 acres in a beautiful state park among California’s redwood trees. He provides a free animal therapy program for people with physical disabilities. Financial support to feed 60 animals or more and maintain the facility comes from donors, tour fees and the sale of some of the animals.
“These are animals that are rescued or donated,” Rivers says. “It takes so many to find one that makes a grid therapy animal.”
Within a year he can tell if an animal is suitable. If not, he has people that will take them. He went through 13 camels before he found Kubla, a Bactrian camel that often accompanies Rivers as he travels about in his powered wheelchair.
Rivers loves to tell the story of meeting a 6-year-old who never focused on anything, until the camel nestled its head into the boy’s chest. The boy’s eyes lit up, he squealed and held the camel’s lips in each hand and kissed the camel. His parents wept with joy.
Supporters have donated some impressive animals for Rivers’ program including a watusi calf that is the son of the largest horned bull in the Guinness Book of World Records. There are zebras, yaks, llamas, emus, tortoises and macaws. And there are several of Rivers’ favorite therapy animals – donkeys.
“They are so intelligent,” Rivers says, noting he has everything from miniature to mammoth sizes. A couple of them are extremely valuable. One has French ancestry, and another is a direct descendent of Royal Gift, a donkey that George Washington bred to his best carriage horse mares.
Students listen to Rivers as he tells them how to teach the donkeys to perform or pull a cart. The students learn that being kind and gentle works on donkeys – and people, too.
“They learn you’re nobody until you can help someone else. Every student has to help another student. They teach one another. Because I am in a wheelchair, they listen to me,” Rivers says.
Students work with small chickens that Rivers bred from Seramas and Frizzle chickens.
“They are unusual, beautiful and perfect for little hands,” Rivers says, and he’s started to give them to facilities and organizations that work with people with disabilities. He also uses them in his own program. As the chicken sits on a hula-hoop, for example, the trainer rotates it 10 times. While focusing on the bird, the trainer gains strength to push his manual chair.
Following physical therapists’ directions, Rivers works with as many as six students a day – for free. He requires that they commit to a year, usually twice a week. Some students have gone on to start similar facilities.
People with disabilities or who are terminally ill or residents of senior communities are welcome to tour the property for free. Other groups pay a fee to help support the work of Dragon Slayers.
And new this year, Rivers invites siblings and their parents who have lost a child to spend a free day at Dragon Slayers to ease their pain.
Rivers continues to believe that animals help people slay whatever dragons are holding them back.
However, with the difficult economic times, it’s become more difficult to keep the program going, so financial contributions for the 501(c)3 organization are welcome.
“I’ve got these kids depending on me, and I can’t close my doors,” he says.
Check out the Dragon Slayer website for more information and how to contribute.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dragon Slayers, P.O. Box 1051, Aptos, Calif. 95001 (ph 831 688-6699; www.josefriversdragonslayers.org).
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Animal Training Helps People With Disabilities AG WORLD Unlike other people who use animals in therapy Josef Rivers doesn’t train animals to work with people who have physical disabilities He teaches people with disabilities to train animals like camels yaks and even exotic chicken breeds Without realizing it the trainers receive a therapeutic benefit They build muscles develop fine motor skills and balance and best of all grow in self-confidence as they concentrate on things like getting a donkey to jump a rail or train chickens for a “chicken circus” It’s all about focusing on something other than the disability Rivers says He understands The 74-year-old has lived with polio since he was 8 months old As a boy he was shy and awkward but fortunate to live in exotic places like Bolivia where his best friends were baby jaguars monkeys and macaws His mother died when he was young and Rivers’ father Walter recognized his son’s connection to animals He told Rivers that everyone has a “dragon to slay” – something that holds you back from loving yourself and therefore others That insight became the force that drives Rivers For nearly 40 years he has directed the Dragon Slayers therapy program on 24 acres in a beautiful state park among California’s redwood trees He provides a free animal therapy program for people with physical disabilities Financial support to feed 60 animals or more and maintain the facility comes from donors tour fees and the sale of some of the animals “These are animals that are rescued or donated ” Rivers says “It takes so many to find one that makes a grid therapy animal ” Within a year he can tell if an animal is suitable If not he has people that will take them He went through 13 camels before he found Kubla a Bactrian camel that often accompanies Rivers as he travels about in his powered wheelchair Rivers loves to tell the story of meeting a 6-year-old who never focused on anything until the camel nestled its head into the boy’s chest The boy’s eyes lit up he squealed and held the camel’s lips in each hand and kissed the camel His parents wept with joy Supporters have donated some impressive animals for Rivers’ program including a watusi calf that is the son of the largest horned bull in the Guinness Book of World Records There are zebras yaks llamas emus tortoises and macaws And there are several of Rivers’ favorite therapy animals – donkeys “They are so intelligent ” Rivers says noting he has everything from miniature to mammoth sizes A couple of them are extremely valuable One has French ancestry and another is a direct descendent of Royal Gift a donkey that George Washington bred to his best carriage horse mares Students listen to Rivers as he tells them how to teach the donkeys to perform or pull a cart The students learn that being kind and gentle works on donkeys – and people too “They learn you’re nobody until you can help someone else Every student has to help another student They teach one another Because I am in a wheelchair they listen to me ” Rivers says Students work with small chickens that Rivers bred from Seramas and Frizzle chickens “They are unusual beautiful and perfect for little hands ” Rivers says and he’s started to give them to facilities and organizations that work with people with disabilities He also uses them in his own program As the chicken sits on a hula-hoop for example the trainer rotates it 10 times While focusing on the bird the trainer gains strength to push his manual chair Following physical therapists’ directions Rivers works with as many as six students a day – for free He requires that they commit to a year usually twice a week Some students have gone on to start similar facilities People with disabilities or who are terminally ill or residents of senior communities are welcome to tour the property for free Other groups pay a fee to help support the work of Dragon Slayers And new this year Rivers invites siblings and their parents who have lost a child to spend a free day at Dragon Slayers to ease their pain Rivers continues to believe that animals help people slay whatever dragons are holding them back However with the difficult economic times it’s become more difficult to keep the program going so financial contributions for the 501 c 3 organization are welcome “I’ve got these kids depending on me and I can’t close my doors ” he says Check out the Dragon Slayer website for more information and how to contribute Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dragon Slayers P O Box 1051 Aptos Calif 95001 ph 831 688-6699; www josefriversdragonslayers org
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