Quote #5 Wall of Communication Broken

"These children put up a wall because they have been hurt so much and a horse is able to penetrate that wall"    ~ Stacy Gormely, President of the Fidelis Foundation

Stacy has had a love for children and horses all her life. She started working with children that have disabilities a few years ago. She noticed that the children she was trying to help would block her and all the other volunteers out like they were not even there. Then they started using horses. The staff noticed a difference in their behaviors. The children started communicating with their families and the volunteers, they gave verbal directions and requests, and they showed a love for horses that they had never shown to anyone before.

Dubetz, Danielle. "Abused Horses Give Back." n. pag. Web. 16 Nov 2010.

Quote #4 Accomplished

"He feels freedom.  He feels independence.  He feels powerful.  He feels skilled.  In  his daily life, as much as we try to set him up for success, he often feels frustrated and less than able, less than his peers in terms of what he can accomplish.

The work that is being done for people with disabilities at New Heights is so valuable.  It means many different things to all the participants (riders, parents, volunteers, instructors…).  But the common joy is that it changes all of our lives.  My family is stronger and happier because of what Walker can do at New Heights.  You know, you can tell a child all day, everyday that they are wonderful, but nothing builds their self-esteem like success through their own actions."   

                  ~Mary Ann Haase, parent of New Heights Rider

Mary Ann is the mother of a child with a disability. She brings him to New Heights Therapeutic Riding because she can see an improvement with everything. New Heights has volunteers that work with children with Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain and spinal cord injury, developmental disabilities, autism, and learning disorders. The riding sessions improve the child's ability to communicate, builds self-esteem and confidence, and fosters freedom.

"Gabby." New Heights. Web. 16 Nov 2010. <http://www.newheightstherapy.org/ProgramInformation/ImpactofTherapeuticRiding/tabid/84/Default.aspx>.

Quote #3 Something About Them

"There's something about the horse … the horse brings it all out in them."            ~Linda Chapman

Linda works with children that have Autism, Down Syndrome, and other disabilities. She has noticed that children who never talk around anyone start talking. Ones that used to just sit on the horse and not say a word are now giving complete verbal directions to the horse. Horses do not judge anyone just because they look different. They do not judge anyone just because they do not talk. Horses are very different from people for those reasons. A horse will love you if you treat them with love. It does not matter to them that you do not talk to them because it is how you act around them that matters. If you are calm and loving towards a horse, they will love you no matter what.

Babcock, Issac. "Miracle Horses." n. pag. Web. 11 Nov 2010. http://www.eosun.com/EOSun/article.asp?ID=4579.

"Little Bit." Little Bit Therapy . Web. 11 Nov 2010. http://www.refresheverything.com/littlebittrc.

Picture #3 Open Gate Farms

This child attends a therapy program in Alabama called Open Gate that started with the love of  horses and children. Open Gate works with children ages 2-18. Associating with the horses takes away the stress a child might have due to their disability or sickness. Riding a horse increases a child's ability to balance, communicate, and have better hand-eye coordination. A typical day for a child that comes to the Farm starts off with being welcomed by everyone in the barn including staff, horses, and the 'barn critters'. Afterward, they are matched up with a horse that will be their friend for the day. Then they learn all about their horse and how to take care of it by brushing, feeding, and cleaning it. They also learn about the safety. When all that is taken care of; the child gets to ride their horse. When they are riding, the lesson might be stretching, maneuvering the horse around cones, poles, or barrels, and games. The volunteers try to make it fun so each time the child comes they do something different.
 "Open Gate." Open Gate Farms. Web. 11 Nov 2010. <http://www.opengait.org/OpenGait_Program.htm>.

Quote #2 For the First Time

"I've had kids out here who have hugged their parents for the first time after working with horses. I've had children who've talked for the first time after working with horses."
~ Jackie Wilks, Harvest Farms Founder

Jackie said that the children who come out to her farm have never talked or hugged their parents before. After they have worked with her and the horses, the run up to their parents and hug them or they start talking to them for the first time. Her and her husband,Tom, started the farm 6 years ago after Jackie saw children falling away from their families. Dr. Travis Crowe says that it is the movement of the child on the horse that allows certain things to be released from the brain that help the child to relax.


Maynarich, Melissa. "Horse Therapy Making A Difference." (2009): n. pag. Web. 10 Nov 2010. <http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=11243629>

Picture #2 Healing Power of A Horse

Jacob is 15 and has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and cognitive delays due to a brain injury at birth. When a child willingly goes up to a horse and is being loud or rambunctious, like Jacob was, the horse will most likely run away because it is scared; therefore, the child will learn to be calm and collected when they are around the animals. The program that Jacob attends serves more than 200 kids with disabilities and is run by 300+ volunteers.

Shapario, Mary. "Healing Power of A Horse." (2010): n. pag. Web. 9 Nov 2010. <http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2010/05/18/west/special_feature/0519wc-equine0.txt>.

Quote #1 Changing Lives

 "We've seen kids' lives change...We're trying to break the cycle that kids find themselves in when they have been let down by a parent or adult figure in their lives, A lot don't know how to build a loving, healthy relationship because of what's been done to them. We try to instill positive life skills so they can overcome their past."
         ~ Stacy Gormley, President of the Fidelis Foundation, FL

This was said by Stacy Gormley; the president of the Fidelis Foundation in Florida. She said that by using the horses as a 'therapist', she has see the children's lives change. Stacy's goal; as well as the rest of the Fidelis Foundations', is to help gain the children's trust and instill life skills. The children have lost trust in people because they have been let down by someone they trusted. The foundation has helped children from ages 2 through 17 to build confidence in themselves and the horses, healthy relationships, and their self-esteem levels. The Myrtle Beach branch is headed by Sybil Lee who hopes to extend the services to people in the surrounding areas. The Fidelis Foundation helps children who are underprivileged, abused or neglected, foster children, those who have HIV/AIDS, Autism, Down Syndrome, and more. The Branch in Myrtle Beach offers their service to children at the following places: Waccamaw Youth Center, Mercy Kids, Celebrate Kids, Life House Care Center, and Citizens Against Spouse Abuse (CASA).

Frost, Janelle. "Healing on Horseback." (2010): n. pag. Web. 9 Nov 2010. <http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/08/28/1659909/healing-on-horseback.html>.