LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When people think of emotional support animals there's typically one main species of animal that comes to mind— dogs.
However, one ranch in Arkansas has been looking to change the stigma around the emotional support animal stereotype and show that horses can also be a part of the conversation.
The Pine Hill Ranch in Ferndale is home to "Healing Hooves," which is a nonprofit organization that focuses on equine therapy to support individuals who face mental and physical challenges.
"I found horses and dogs, but horses specifically to be innately healing," said Jennifer Sanderson, the Director for Healing Hooves. "You can see that like every day there's something here that you know is good for your body or good for your mind or good for your soul."
Healing Hooves began its journey three months ago. Through the program, they partner with therapeutic riders and officials who work with children and adults who face a number of issues that might pose challenges.
Sanderson explained that they work to provide team building, leadership coaching, and hippotherapy through a number of workshops and exercises.
"That's therapy with speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. And as we go forward, we'll be offering therapeutic writing," Sanderson described.
To prepare each horse for the training, they go through extensive training with therapeutic riders— utilizing tasks that target balance, core exercises, and stability to help with the rider's physical and mental health.
By utilizing equipment such as beanbags, cones, and wooden planks, the horse is tasked with neurological activities that pair with each rider's pathological inabilities— making them much more prepared for any scenario.
"For beanbags, sometimes it's the change of balance for the horse going across them, and it's also a way to get multiple repetitions out of the rider," Sanderson said. "We want to be really stable and straight over the horse, but we have to use our core muscles to help compensate for that."
"The cones are small changes of direction, but distill definitely a change of balance with the rider, as is that something you're going to feel largely with your seat and your hips," she added.
Riders like Berkley Parker and Kaylee Mitchell work closely with the horses as they help with children who take part in the Healing Hooves program.
Both Parker and Mitchell have learned lessons along the way that have taught them much more than just being a good steward to those in need.
"It's really good when children can learn the distance and also build a bond with the horse. Not just attaching something to it, to bring them to them, but like building the bond where a horse can just come to you, and having the trust in a horse," Mitchell described.
Through the Healing Hooves program, there is one main goal they hope to achieve as the program blossoms and grows.
"We want to facilitate spaces and places where we can help people heal their body, mind, and soul with the assistance of horses," Sanderson said.
For more information on the Healing Hooves program, please click here.