Healing with horses: Hearts & Hoofbeats continues equine therapy
Hearts & Hoofbeats volunteers guide a horse and child through an indoor walk inside the ministry's hoop building.
There’s something special about watching a child with special needs come alive through something as simple as a horseback ride. Horses offer a healing presence, a reality Andrew and Linda Yoder have observed over the last few years at Hearts & Hoofbeats.
“We’ve always liked to work with horses and be around horses,” co-founder Linda Yoder said. “It’s just awesome that we can offer that to other people.”
Turning 3 this summer, Hearts & Hoofbeats provides equine therapy services for infants to adults, offering custom rides based on individual needs and preferences. The nonprofit organization operates out of a 60-by-90-foot hoop building on the Yoders’ property, run by a board of directors and fueled by many volunteers and community donations.
Equine therapy is a different experience for each person, but the overall interactions with horses have been found to help individuals achieve physical and emotional growth. At Hearts & Hoofbeats, clients’ needs vary from mental and emotional to physical challenges.
“Mostly any type of therapy,” Linda Yoder said. “Some is emotional. We get quite a few with anxiety. Mostly some kind of disability.”
Each experience depends on the needs and desires of the client, Linda Yoder said. Some linger in the stables, petting and brushing the horses before mounting for their ride. Others enjoy incorporating hoop tricks and throwing balls during the ride.
Each rider and horse is equipped with four skilled volunteers — two on each side, one riding with them and a leader.
“The volunteers really do a good job of trying to figure out what they like. We want to keep it so it’s fun,” Yoder said.
In addition to routine, clients also have their favorite horses. The organization currently has 10 geldings: Bobby, Nunavik, Spark Plug, Minnie, Jase, Rap, Colorado, Tiny Thunder, Chester and Echo. Colorado, Bobby and Nunavik are the Yoders' own Haflingers who joined the program from the start. The others — a combination of a Haflinger-Belgian cross, a Quarter Horse and a Morgan — came gradually through donations.
“The Morgan is kind of like fairy tale-looking, so some of the kids who need emotional support like to ride that one,” Yoder said.
Instead of saddles, horses use bareback pads, made by local business Bowman Harness, which allows clients to experience the full movement of the horse's stride. It also allows them to feel more heat from the horse, which aids in mobility for those with stiff muscles.
The program currently runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with 25-30 volunteers coming each day.
“They get more out of this than they put in,” Yoder said. “We love it. It’s really special.”
Like the trainers, the horses truly care about their clients. Horses are patient, often tolerating rough handling or loud noises, depending on the situation.
“I think they just know that the client needs them,” Yoder said.
The bond horses and their clients experience works wonders, Yoder said. Families see improvements in their loved ones during and after therapy rides. For some, spending time with the horses improves focus and calms nerves. For others such as those who are nonverbal or struggle with developmental disabilities, therapy helps build connections and strengthens progress. Sessions also provide time for parents to visit with and encourage one another.
“For some of these children, the progress is slow, but they do see improvement,” Yoder said. “We had two where the child was over 10 and not potty-trained, and now they are.”
Having owned horses all their lives, the Yoders loved sharing the experience with youth, often organizing horseback riding outings on local and state park trails and at Equine Affaire, held at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.
“It was always kind of rewarding because some people never had a chance to ride a horse,” Andrew Yoder said.
The couple has raised Haflinger horses, and after selling a few to equine therapy organizations, they had the idea to start a program of their own.
Now in its third year, Hearts & Hoofbeats started in summer 2021 and grew as volunteers and clients came out of the woodwork. The ministry is funded through donations throughout the year including two fundraisers. A public fundraiser is held in May at Mt. Hope Event Center, and an invitation fundraiser is onsite in September.
This year’s focus has been gearing up to expand operations on a recently purchased 12-acre property adjoining the current property between Apple Creek and Mt. Eaton.
The new facility will be 150-by-250 feet, containing a large arena along with 16 box stalls, an office, a seating area, a lunch room and restrooms.
The estimated cost will be $2 million. With the help of incoming donations, the ministry hopes to break ground this fall, following the September fundraiser.
Andrew Yoder feels blessed to be able to offer this opportunity to families, emphasizing the value of each individual who comes to the program.
“God put them on this Earth. We need to take care of them. I think (that’s why) God gives us the ability to do this,” Andrew Yoder said.
To learn more about the ministry, sign up a rider or serve as a volunteer, call Linda Yoder at 330-988-2147 or Andrew Yoder at 330-466-3051. Contributions are accepted at P.O. Box 252, Fredericksburg, OH 44627.