Horses Help Seniors Living with Alzheimer’s

People who have never been around horses may not realize how therapeutic they can be. Just the act of caring for a horse or even a short ride – even if it’s just a few minutes – can provide so much physical, mental and emotional healing. Hearts & Horses, a Northern Colorado nonprofit understands this. The organization has been a therapeutic riding facility since 1997.

One of the programs Hearts & Horses provides is called Riding in the Moment. This program is for aging adults and seniors who are dealing with memory loss, cognitive impairments, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, their website states.

In the video above, we are given a peek inside the program, as we watch Marti, a woman with Alzheimer’s who has difficulty communicating burst into song once she’s placed on a horse named Sugar. Her happiness was evident. We also see Ray, a one-time rancher and cowboy who, once he’s back in the saddle, exclaims “Hi, ho, Silver!” as though he’d never missed a day of riding. It is truly a touching video, and one that’s sure to bring tears to your eyes.

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