Lisa Krystosek

This week we will explore the world of Hippotherapy. Despite the way it sounds, we are not using the hippopotamus for therapeutic purposes - although I would like to see that!

Well, the holidays have arrived! I love this time of year and relish the time I get to spend with family and friends. I look forward to “jacket weather” and watching my animals become wooly mammoths as they grow their winter coats. My favorite holiday memories include all of the Thanksgiving Day rides aboard my beloved horse, Irish. We rode for hours through the forest and fields behind our house as I recited my gratitude list in time to his trot and canter. It is a very humbling experience to create and recite a gratitude list and I highly suggest we all have one in our back pockets – especially when times are tough.

Most of us are aware of the benefit therapeutic horsemanship provides to people with physical and developmental disabilities. But did you know that horses are also a wonderful resource to use in the identification and treatment of mental health issues? In this new blog, we will explore the ways horses and other animals may be able to enhance the therapeutic experience for our clients.