On a rainy spring day, residents from Friendship Village of Bloomington, Minnesota, spent time brushing, walking and connecting with horses as part of an equine-assisted therapy experience at Hold Your Horses.
The visit came ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month in May and focused on supporting emotional well-being through mindfulness, connection and hands-on interaction with animals.
For resident Karnie Moesenthin, the experience was calming.
“Calm and very, very happy, because it’s just so nice to be able to touch an animal,” Moesenthin said.
Moesenthin, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, said brushing the horses gave her a chance to do something she cannot easily do on her own.
“This is fun. It’s things that I can’t do on my own,” she said.
Hold Your Horses is a local nonprofit that provides therapy alongside horses and the natural world for people of all ages and abilities. Kenz Becco, its executive director, said the organization works with people navigating physical disabilities, trauma, grief, loss, major life transitions and other challenges.
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Becco said horses can help people slow down and focus on the present moment.
“Being present, being grounded with the horses, letting the past be the past, letting the future be the future and just being in the moment,” Becco said.
According to information provided by Friendship Village, more than 5.5 million older adults in the U.S. report frequent mental distress. The World Health Organization also reports more than 14% of adults age 70 and older live with a mental health condition.
For Friendship Village residents, the visit offered a quiet way to connect with animals, nature and each other. Resident Barbara Bartholomew said the experience brought back memories from her years around horses.
“It feels good,” Bartholomew said.
Moesenthin said her favorite part was brushing the horses.
“Oh, it’s very smoothing, very soothing. It’s just, it’s soft,” she said.
Hold Your Horses offers programs for people of all ages, including children, adults and seniors. With its herd of therapy horses aging, the organization is working to bring in new horses to continue providing services in the years ahead.