Horse Heroes Help Individuals with Special Needs

Our mission is made possible by the members of our horse herd, and we are excited to introduce a newcomer in the barn - Lucy!

Lucy is a 16 year old Belgian Draft/Quarter Horse Cross. Her owner is in the United States Coast Guard and is now stationed in Miami.  As any horse owner will tell you, we always want our horses close by.  When Lucy's owner discovered that she would be in Florida for the next few years - she found Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida (EATSF), and began talking to our team about Lucy joining the herd.

We are lucky that Lucy comes to EATSF with previous therapeutic service expereince at another program in Virgina.  Lucy worked with participants of all ages.  As Lucy settles into her new home, she will be taken through our 90-day trial period, so that we can ensure that she has the right stuff to be an EATSF program horse! 

Throughout the next 90 days, Lucy will be visited by our veterinarian, farrier, be fitted for a saddle, and begin her new exercise routine.  Lucy may be 17 hands tall and 1,600 pounds - but she loves, love.  Give her a pat and a scratch - you will have a friend for life! 

Want to know a fun fact about Lucy's coat? She is considered to be a Bay Roan - this means that she has silver flecks in her brown coat that make her look like a hologram when she is in the sun.  Don't worrry, we promise Lucy is real! 

The team at EATSF is looking forward to seeing Lucy in action, and seeing her with volunteers and participants as her 90-day trial progresses - please join us as we give Lucy a warm EATSF welcome! 

I would like to thank you for supporting our herd of horses that help to provide exceptional care for the children and adults with special needs that participate in our programs. We just completed our Spring riding session with 59 participants in Therapeutic Riding,18 in Unmounted Horsemanship, and 9 in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy.

For over 40 years, our programs have been successful because of the synergy created between a participant and their horse. It is this partnership that goes a long way toward meeting individual goals where participants can improve their balance and coordination, gain strength, build self-confidence, and develop their communication and social skills. Each of our horses work hard to give our participants the very best experience through our programs.

I would like to introduce you to Hallory, our Oldenburg mare. Hallory arrived at EATSF in 2003. Born in 1999, she stands 15.3 hands high and has a chestnut coat with a flaxen mane. She loves to be groomed, earning her the nickname “Princess.”  The underside of her neck is her absolute favorite spot, and you will see her stretch out and lift her head so you can reach better.

Hallory can get very fast in the walk and trot if her rider is squeezing or moving around a lot.  If you use your voice, don’t pull, and tell her “Easy” in a low tone, and she will respond immediately. 

She was training to be a competitive Dressage horse before coming to us here at EATSF.  Although she is good at it now, she wasn’t back then.

We thank you for supporting our mission and hope that you will consider another gift for our horses. I invite you to come out and see our mission in action when you are in our neighborhood. It would be our pleasure to show you around our campus and share with you our latest achievements.

Links:

• Our Website
• Follow Us on Facebook