Therapeutic program promotes trust and healing with the help of horses
Allison McCully, the unmounted program assistant manager for Cowboy Connections writes the attributes of trust as the group begins their lesson on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Kaleb Alletzhauser leads Briella Houghton and Vader through the obstacle course during their exercise in trust at the Cowboy Connections class in Goffstown on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Kaleb Alletzhauser and Sophie Fillip pet Vader bdfore the Cowboy Connections daily lesson for trust on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Gwendalyn Trainor pets Vader before the Cowboy Connections lesson in Goffstown on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Gwendalyn Trainor (right) leads Sophie Fillip through the obstacle course during the group lesson about trust as Micah Pinard looks on during the Cowboy Connections class in Goffstown on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Published: 4/17/2021 2:00:41 PM
Blindfolded with a pink bandana, Briella Houghton shuffled through a maze of horizonatal logs and plastic objects, one hand clutching the lead of a miniature horse and another waving frantically in front of her.
The class’ assignment was to navigate through an obstacle course with their eyes covered based on their sighted partner’s instructions, all while dragging a small horse along with them.
Whatever Houghton’s partner was instructing her to do didn’t matter Vader, a brown, three-foot tall horse, had his own plans. He stomped through the cones placed neatly in a line and pulled forward to nudge a plastic rock, nearly pulling down Houghton in the process.