Colorado Springs group uses horses to help people find healing

Behind the barn walls of StableStrides in Colorado Springs, people find healing, a special sort of healing that happens through a bond with horses.

“My boyfriend passed away from suicide in March 2018,” said Katelynn Webb, a client of StableStrides since June 2018. “I kind of consumed myself with depression and anxiety.”

Therapy horses provide healing that might be physical, behavioral, or even emotional. Webb was one of those individuals hoping to improve her state of mind.

“I wasn’t actually talking about my issues and … I realized it was because I wasn’t ready,” said Webb.

When she was ready, she began her journey with Chief, her therapy horse that was hand-picked to help her reach her goals.

Adam Morrison, an Equine Specialist with StableStrides explained how that selection process works.

“I look at all the possibilities, the characteristics, you know, the personalities of the horses; and then I look at the client,” Morrison said. “We go through and we meet the whole herd and then a lot of times clients will click with horses.”

For Katelynn, that bond with Chief was almost instantaneous.

“I remember there was this one time, I hadn’t visited him yet, I hadn’t greeted him, but he kept, like, he heard me and he was leaning in towards me,” Webb said. “Then he started neighing for me. And I was like ‘what, that’s for me?! That’s so cool!'”

So how does this type of therapy work? Morrison explained, “Horses are a huge bio feedback device. While they can’t understand our words, they can understand intention, emotion.”

Simply being present with the horse helps that very process in many ways.

“If a client shows up and they say that they’re happy, they’re having a great day, but they have some inner turmoil going on, the horses can pick up on that and they call them out in a good way,” said Morrison. “It helps the client to realize that depression and anxiety, that’s what it can look like.”

Katelynn began her process of overcoming grief in June of 2018. Since then, she has found a new sense of calm and feels like a different person.

“One thing that they teach me is to be prideful,” said Webb, “and so I do take a lot of pride in myself now and my accomplishments and how far I’ve come.”