Our People and our Horses

Board of Directors

President: Betsey Krill
Vice-President: Dr. Margaret Johnson-Gaddis, PhD, Clinical advisor to EAP programs
Treasurer/Secretary: Nancy Marion
Board Members: Kristie Carriker, Sharon Spinney, Terri Wheeler

Staff

Lynne Howarth
Executive Director

Trish Lemke, EAGALA Level I, CEIP-ED
Program Development/EEL Instructor

Allison Klein, NARHA-Certified Advanced Instructor

Ronda Carver, NARHA-Certified Instructor, EAGALA Level I

Barb Wolfe, MA, LPC
Lead mental health counselor

Michele Black
Horse care and maintenance

Therapy Horses

Alex

Alex is a 16-year old Mustang pony and is our little horse with a big heart. He gives of himself freely and absorbs many emotions from the people who work with him. Alex had significant trauma in his life and has a hard time with trust, especially with adults - he often won’t let himself be caught easily and once caught, he only allows himself to relax when the clients relax as well. This provides immediate feedback for people who are tense and fearful because the stress Alex carries (and then releases) is easy to see – even for people with no horse experience. He is a perfect partner for people who have suffered abuse or neglect and through his work with them provides clients a glimpse of what it means to trust again. Alex loves children and lets them approach and catch him immediately. Children love the fact that they can approach Alex while some adults cannot. It’s an empowering experience. Alex is also a therapeutic riding horse for people with physical and developmental disabilities. The little horse with the big heart does it all and is a vital member of our Mancos therapy team.

Bleu

Bleu is a wise and gentle teacher. He’s the grandpa of the Durango group and he shows clients the true meaning of patience. Bleu loves to be with children and stands like a statue when they are around his body and legs – he seems to be constantly concerned about their safety. He is especially good with people who come to us with a lot of fear. He stands quietly while being groomed and allows clients to gain trust and confidence in his presence. Bleu also teaches these same people to be assertive, because he would rather stand in one place than ‘walk on’. Bleu spent most of his life on a dude string and as a pack horse – when he first came to us he had very little connection to the people in his life, but after a few months as an equine assisted therapy horse, his devotion and caring for all those that encounter him is immediately apparent. Here he is with a young friend after a Spirit Painting session.

Brooke

Everyone in the field of equine assisted therapies experiences over and over again the power of horses to act as mirrors to human emotions, feelings and behaviors. This mirroring work is not as apparent in all horses to equal degrees, but it is something with which Brooke, our Thoroughbred mare, is truly gifted. She is extremely sensitive to moods and lets clients know immediately when inner feelings don’t match up with outward behavior. Because she has experienced trauma in her life, she is especially in tune to those experiencing emotional or psychological pain, particularly with the girls in the Circle of Healing Foal Project. We have seen her approach people in crisis and gently stand by, giving them strength and encouragement. Brooke is very perceptive and keys in to emotions, encouraging clients to experience self-worth. Her sensitivity and empathy to human behavior and emotions makes her an amazing part of our equine team.

Elvin

3 smiling children standing in front of painted ElvinElvin, 17-year old Quarter Horse gelding, is a caring and intuitive healer. The mental health work we have seen him do with people is truly amazing. Sometimes as staff, we ask ourselves if Elvin really just did what we thought he did in his healing work, and the answer is always, “ Yes!” He is a horse that is truly gifted in the work that he does and many times all we have to do as facilitators is watch, learn and accept that he is usually wiser than we are. Elvin came to us after years of work as a schooling and eventing horse. He became injured during a ride and would never be completely sound. Elvin found a new home with Medicine Horse and we believe that he has found his true calling. Horses like Elvin don’t come around too often in a lifetime and we are incredibly lucky to have him as part of our team.

Hasta

Hasta eating grass in a fieldHasta, a 15-year old Palomino Paint mare is the lead mare of our group in Durango and she is quick to tell everyone about it – especially at feeding time. Before she came to us, she was a competition horse and she still has that drive to compete and work hard. Our job as staff is to teach her that she now has a home where she can relax and begin to work with people, not just for them. Hasta has a lot of energy and needs frequent reminders about how to behave – which allows for countless opportunities to talk to kids about their behavioral problems and why these might be frustrating for adults in their lives. One of our teenage girls who has a particularly hard time controlling her risk-taking behaviors kept saying during a recent session with Hasta, “Oh my gosh, she’s just like me!” These “Aha” moments that Hasta frequently shows people provide substance and meaning to many of our sessions.

Lucy

Lucy (a.k.a. Miss Versatility) is a 15-year old Navajo Reservation horse. She has endless amounts of patience for our clients, and is our lead therapy mare. She has the amazing ability to sense the clients who need her special touch. Lucy is used in all the Medicine Horse Programs - thus the “Miss Versatility” moniker. She is especially important in our “Survivors of Domestic Violence” program. When not working her special magic with our clients she may be found on the roundup for local cattle drives. She never ceases to amaze us! We often hear clients say, “I Love Lucy” !

Lysingur (Lee)

If Lysingur (Lee), our Icelandic horse, could be another animal, he would most definitely be a big shaggy dog. He does not get along with the other horses very well and is always the loner of the herd, but loves to be with people and will stand for hours while being groomed. He is perfect for people with a lot of fear because he is such a gentle and mellow guy. Because Lee connects so well to people, he is perfect for the “hands off leading” exercise. Once a client has spent time working and bonding with Lee, they can take his lead rope off and Lee will continue to follow. This is a great experience for clients who have low self-esteem or feel that nobody likes them. People come away from this exercise with a new sense of self-worth – “If this horse really likes me and wants to be with me, maybe I’m not such a bad person after all”. Lee is a great “listener”; he will stand quietly while people hug him and bury their face into his big furry mane. Laughing or crying, he gives everyone the feeling that things will be O.K. He is nonjudgmental and accepting of everyone he meets – he is the perfect best friend.

Little Missy

Missy (Little Missy) is a retired ranch horse who is leased to Medicine Horse. She is twenty eight years old, but you'd never know it! Missy is one of the mainstays of our therapeutic riding program and takes care of every client in such a gentle way. She never wavers in her devotion to clients. She not only ‘rocks’ but she IS our ‘rock’. You Go Girl!

Whiskey

Our dear friend Whiskey

Whiskey had no strangers in his life, because he befriended everyone who came his way. We affectionately called him, "The Medicine Horse Greeter"--his M.O... nicker to people until they would come say "hi," then "velcro" on to them until they gave him a neck or chest rub!!

It has only been a short time since we lost Whiskey, but it seems like forever. We all miss him more than we can say.

The Foals (Jade, Rico and Quinn)

Sponsors:
Jodi Harris sponsors Quinn
Jade and Rico need sponsors!

Our youngest additions are three adorable draft horse crosses, (l to r: Jade, Rico and Quinn) adopted from a Premarin Breeding Farm in Canada.

Premarin is a drug whose name originates from a key ingredient, pregnant mare's urine. It is prescribed to alleviate symptoms of menopause. Pregnant mares used for Premarin production are harnessed to urine collection bags six months a year. 60,000 grade foals, are the by-products of this industry. The majority will become casualties of slaughter. Through a grant, in the fall of 2006 Medicine Horse was able to rescue three fillies.

These fillies are part of our Circle of Healing Foal Project, where they are partnered with at-risk teens learning the values of the horse-human bond. Teens learn to value themselves and others, while taking on responsibility for the nurturing and care of their foals. Jade, Rico and Quinn sense they were rescued and share their special joy and love with these at-risk teens.

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