HOPE HELD BY A HORSE
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Mission Statement
Hope Held by aHorse provides emotional support to cancer survivors, in any stage of diagnosis, through equine-assisted therapy. Hope Held by a Horse gives individuals the opportunity to reclaim a part of themselves that has been lost or diminished through the challenges of cancer. Our goal is to provide a placein which they can address fears and express emotional pain. The spiritual connection with horses helps them feel supported, centered, empowered and able to continue on and thrive. Hope Held by a Horse is a non-profit organization.
About This Cause
HOPE HELD BY A HORSE has been created to provide a safe, positive environment, in the company of horses, to support individuals with cancer and help them learn, grow and heal. We give them the opportunity to reclaim a part of themselves that has been lost or diminished throughout the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. We began as the only known program in the United States that utilizes horses to focus solely on women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their lives. We have since expanded our program and now welcome all cancer survivors, at any stage of diagnosis. The connection with the horses and other participants helps them feel supported, centered and empowered in a way that traditional support groups or therapy cannot provide. It provides them the potential of being stronger and better able to face the difficulties of their disease with the possibility of improving their outcome and certainly, their outlook. Studies have shown improved physical parameters as well as psychological. Our own survey shows improvement in all emotional categories after one day. There are several reasons horses are an extremely important part of our program. One is because horses are prey animals. Horses very survival depends on their strong sense of intuition and ability to perceive inauthenticity in their environment and to react decisively to perceived threat. Because of this, horses provide us with immediate reflection and feedback about how authentically we walk through the world and, in turn, how we affect those with whom we come into contact. Horses also live in the Present Moment. Horses live their lives in the here and now and they help us to live our lives in the same way. They help us to remember to soak up every single moment and that if we are paying attention, every moment is rich with experience and information. When we are immersed into "horse time" there is never an agenda or a goal. We have the opportunity to just "be" rather than "do." Horses Impact our Physiology. There is literally a physiological change that happens when we interact with horses. Anxiety and stress are reduced because our level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered, and the production of serotonin, a chemical associated with well-being, is increased. Our heart rates and blood pressure decreases. Oxytocin, which is know as the "bonding hormone," increases. This is because we have the opportunity to make physical contact with the horses. Many of us don't have a great deal of physical contact in our lives. Increased oxytocin levels also means less cardiovascular stress and an improved immune system. Horses also help to regulate our nervous systems. Because they are regulated and coherent, our nervous system organically begin to sync with theirs. Horses are Relationship Oriented. Horses are social beings that live together in herds, with defined hierarchies, roles, responsibilities, and relationships. Being in relationship with a horse allows us to experience an authentic relationship without being concerned with the mental and emotional baggage of another person. They allow us to feel, be seen, heard, appreciated and validated for who we truly are and not for our roles in society, within the context of our family structure, or for our achievements. We help these women to return to their previous roles in a healthier way which benefits their community and society as a whole. The manner in which we accomplish this is by providing programs 11-12 times a year. There are six participants in each session. These programs are offered at a ranch outside of Denver, CO, typically over a weekend. A Certified Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapist, directs the program. Each participant is paired with a trained facilitator and a horse. Exercises are determined based on the group’s needs. Each program has activities working with the horses on the ground and may include tasks such as grooming and leading. These are interspersed with group discussions. There is an opportunity to sit on a horse for a movement and biofeedback activity. The actual programs take about 50% of the total time of the organization. The other 50% is spent on education, marketing, and administrative tasks. We also put on several demonstrations a year. We have a website, www.hopeheldbyahorse.org and are on Facebook. We have a PowerPoint presentation we give to breast cancer support groups, cancer centers, physicians and nursing groups and whomever else is interested. We have a benefit ride once a year. We participate in other breast cancer activities such as Romp to Stomp, Day of Caring, Step up to Cancer, and Race for the Cure. We have been asked to put on programs for other groups in other locations. We are interviewed for radio and TV news programs. We distribute brochures to medical centers, mammography and radiology centers, doctor’s offices, therapists, other breast cancer support groups, women’s stores and salon’s and horse groups. We will have a projected operating budget of $50,000 annually. Once we have enough funding to provide our goal of 22 programs a year, this will increase. This is because we want to be able to provide more programs and reach more women with breast cancer. At this point, the program has been supported by the Benefit Ride and other donations. However, in order to continue and to expand the program, more donations will be needed. In order to attract larger organizations and donations, we will need to be able to supply a tax benefit to incentivize larger donations. A few testimonials: "Exceptional program! Loving, compassionate & incredibly supportive staff. They helped me see how strong I really am and that breast cancer does not define me. Thank you so much! Without question, this program has completely changed my life. I am forever grateful!" Suzanne H. "The energy healing between Kerry, Skye and myself just blew me away. I felt the tension in my back, which has been a constant source of pain for many years, was released. I felt it almost instantly." Terri G. "I learned to be more open with myself and look at what is there and not to be so scared about whatever is going on. Being at the ranch helped me pull out a huge weed and plant a big pretty flower in its place.” I think this is one of the greatest programs I have attended. Everyone was so attentive and supportive. It helped me rejuvenate." Abijah J.