Therapy Horses: Equine Miracle Workers

Finding Connection with Therapy Horses

Horses possess a remarkable ability to connect with humans: to comfort, teach and heal. A wide variety of people are helped through equine-assisted activities at centers across North America. Special needs children and adults, veterans recovering from physical and emotional trauma, and abused women and children are just a few examples of those who benefit from spending time with these exceptional equines.

Kate Storjohann is lead instructor at the Marianna Greene Henry Special Equestrian Program (MGHSE) in Talladega, Ala., where she works with deaf, blind and multi-disabled students. She has witnessed many examples of the healing power of horses, but one story stands out. She was teaching a blind, autistic student who in the three years she had been going to MGHSE, had not spoken to anyone there.

“I was working with her one-on-one about how to groom horses when something wonderful happened,” shares Storjohann. “As we brushed, I started to guide her hand over different parts of the horse and tell her what she was feeling. After a few minutes, she started reaching out on her own. I could tell she was beginning to take an interest, so I repeated the parts of the horse. Then she said, ‘Mane?’ I had never heard her speak before. Since that day, I can ask her to find the ear, eye, nose, mane, tail, and many other parts, and she can show me where they are.”

That student has progressed to using voice commands to her therapy horse when riding as volunteers lead and walk alongside. Storjohann says that students at MGHSE learn much more than horsemanship: they gain confidence and independence, learn teamwork, refine balance and motor skills, develop character, and discover that all things are possible.

Smiling Again

At Therapeutic Riding Incorporated (TRI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., Program Director Jennifer Beyer has seen her share of miracles worked by their horses. The TRI program offers mounted adaptive horsemanship classes, work-from-the-ground wellness sessions, and para-dressage lessons, to name just a few of their activities.

Beyer recalls many examples, but the story of one young man and his bond with TRI’s Quarter Horse gelding, B Smiley, illustrates the restorative abilities of an equine companion.

Liam had been a student at TRI for several years when ongoing neurological issues caused him to be hospitalized for weeks at a time, diminishing his strength and balance.

“With every hospital stay, Liam looked forward to time at TRI,” recalls Beyer. “Coming to the barn to see ‘his’ horse, B Smiley, became his motivation to get better and stick with physical therapy. Smiley has impeccable ground manners and loves attention. When the doctors gave him the ‘all clear,’ Liam wasn’t strong enough to ride, but he came to every lesson to groom and walk Smiley. Fast forward a year, and Liam is now strong enough to ride and has made great strides with improved balance. He and Smiley are still a team, both in and out of the saddle.”

What It Takes to Be a Therapy Horse

Beyer and Storjohann explain that their program horses come from various walks of life, but most often they hail from show, lesson barn and trail riding backgrounds. Both emphasize that to be considered, a horse needs to be sound and in current work because the job is both mentally and physically challenging. These equines work with a variety of students on any given day, and their gaits need to be even, their minds calm and willing, and their bodies able to hold up to the work.

Beyer says that there is a misconception that adaptive riding horses simply give glorified pony rides.

“This is not a cushy retirement opportunity, but a rewarding assignment for sturdy, patient and well-loved horses,” she says. “Above all else, we seek horses that have friendly, people-pleasing personalities.”

A great therapy horse is sound at the walk, trot and canter, and the quality of the horse’s movement is what benefits the participants the most, according to Storjohann.

“We utilize a wide range of input [from the] movement from our horses,” she says. “With some of our students, it is preferred that the horse have a low amount of movement as they learn to ride and acquire a proper seat. In other cases, more exaggerated movement is needed to stimulate a rider and meet their sensory needs.”

Other qualities that Beyer and Storjohann look for in ideal horses for their therapy programs:

◆ Trained, adult horses (ages 5-18 for TRI and 8-20 for MGHSE)

◆ Height range between 14-16 hands, with some exceptions

◆ Healthy, sound, a negative Coggins test, and up to date on vaccinations, deworming, dental and farrier care

◆ Rhythmic gaits; able to smoothly transition from one gait to another

◆ Comfortable being handled and ridden by a wide variety of people

◆ Good ground manners; leads, ties and stands well

◆ Stands quietly for mounting and dismounting

◆ Respects human leader’s personal space, and tolerant of multiple sidewalkers

◆ Accepting of beginner riders; tolerant and even-tempered so a student riding may be safely led around an arena

◆ Obedient to both voice and leg aids

◆ Accepting of assistive devices and equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, et cetera)

◆ Able to calmly deal with new sights, sudden sounds, and unexpected/uneven movement by the rider

◆ Must display “therapy heart” and show enjoyment in their work.

Other selection criteria may vary from program to program. For example, TRI uses some gaited horses with good results, whereas MGHSE does not accept gaited horses.

They both advise that horses with dangerous habits (i.e. bucking, kicking, biting, rearing, bolting, spooking) or horses that stumble regularly are not well-suited to this job.

It’s important to note that the qualities that make a great therapeutic riding horse may differ from a winning para-equestrian competition horse. To win nationally and internationally in para-dressage, for example, may require bigger, flashier gaits and more contact.

Donation & Training

Both MGHSE and TRI accept donated horses, and also purchase a few horses, but ask for a trial period in each case. Visit their websites for more information.

“Donating a horse to a therapeutic or adaptive riding program will change the lives of people with disabilities,” says Beyer.

Program horses go through training and desensitization exercises once they arrive, as well as refresher courses as needed. They are regularly conditioned and also get “vacation time” to decompress.

English actress Pam Brown said, “Horses lend us the wings we lack.” Talking about her students, Storjohann puts this in perspective.

“They are no longer restricted by their disabilities,” she says. “There is a freedom that can only be experienced on the back of a horse. Our students understand it best.”

This article about therapy horses appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!