A PSYCHOLOGIST in Western Cape is using horses to provide a unique kind of therapy for disabled children

Based in Paarl, 60km from Cape Town, M'lina Basson says kids with social and psychological problems are also benefiting from her "horse therapy".

She is currently working with 40 disadvantaged children who receive therapy five days a week after school - free of charge.

"None of the children can cope in mainstream schools due to trauma, abuse, disabilities or learning problems," she said.

Children are often reluctant to speak directly to psychologists about their problems.

But when Basson links the child to a horse, the child establishes a bond with the gentle animal and opens up about their feelings.

"We learnt of two sexual abuse cases when the little girls told the horse, Josef, what happened to them. No one prior to that knew about the abuse," said Basson.

She added that two years ago there were seven wheelchair-bound children in her programme, but today not one of those children uses their wheelchair full-time any more.

Basson started riding horses when she was only three years old. After qualifying as a psychologist, she decided to combine the two and give back to the community.

Relying on the public for financial support, Basson is appealing for help.

"It costs R5,000 to sponsor a child for a year, but every little contribution helps," she said.