“There are things the horse did for me that a human couldn’t have done.” -Buck Brannaman
Any horseman will tell you that a horse is the best teacher there is, and that’s why Mirror Ministries will be offering equine therapy to the residents of Esther’s Home. The connection between horses and humans is something that’s difficult to understand until you’ve experienced it in person, but I can tell you that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the influence of some very special horses in my life. As flight animals, horses are a mirror of our emotions. They are incredibly sensitive to body language, and our emotions tend to show up in the way we move and interact with the world. Nothing will teach emotional and spatial awareness faster than a horse. Ask for a movement too aggressively, and the horse will skitter away from you. Ask too timidly, and the horse won’t move at all. Horsemanship is all about balance and awareness.
Mirror Ministries currently has two horses on property at Esther’s Home, Indigo, a 22-year-old gray thoroughbred gelding, and Harmony, a 10-year-old palomino quarter horse mare. Indigo has years of experience working within a therapy program, and he’s a safe, loveable gentleman who’s ready to teach a new group of kids how to ride and interact with horses. Harmony is a former barrel and rope horse who was diagnosed with a mild case of kissing spine a couple of years ago. Because of this, she isn’t currently rideable, but her fantastic ground manners and expressive, goofy behavior make her perfect for teaching volunteers and residents how to understand equine body language and handle horses on the ground.
Mirror Ministries’ equine program is designed to provide the residents of Esther’s Home the opportunity to bond with the horses and learn life skills through horsemanship and care of the horses. We have a beautiful facility with a three-stall barn, large pasture, and riding arena where equine therapy and lessons will take place. An incredible team of equine volunteers helps with care of the horses while we work to get Esther’s Home operational, and they will also be assisting with lessons and other barn chores in the future. The residents will have access to weekly sessions with a certified Equine Assisted Therapist and horsemanship lessons with Mirror Ministries’ Equine Specialist (that’s me, Tiegan!). They will also do daily barn chores like feeding the horses, mucking stalls, and cleaning tack. We are excited for the healing our horses can bring to the residents of Esther’s Home. After all, there’s nothing quite like the bond between a horse and a little girl.
Tiegan, Equine Specialist
