June 25, 2024

June has been a bustling and rewarding month for Healing With Horses Ranch, marked by meaningful community involvement and professional development.

Earlier this month, Development Director Rebekah Fookes & Board Member Judy Myers had the pleasure of attending the City of Manor’s Juneteenth Celebration. The event was filled with vibrant performances, delicious food, and activities like face painting, making it a fun and heartwarming experience for all. It was an honor to connect with Mayor Harvey, City Council members, and many other community members who have continuously shown tremendous support for our mission.

In addition to community engagement, Healing With Horses Ranch proudly hosted a three-day workshop and testing course for the Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) certification. The course, led by faculty from the Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH Intl.), Sandy Webster and Martha Dubensky, brought together 13 participants, including four credentialed instructors and one volunteer from the Ranch, alongside individuals from Georgia, Oklahoma, Dallas, and San Antonio. We are thrilled to announce that all participants passed their skill testing, marking a significant step toward becoming certified Equine Specialists. These professionals will now submit their portfolios and prepare for a written exam to demonstrate their knowledge of lesson planning, equine care, and therapeutic strategies.

You might be wondering, what exactly does an Equine Specialist do? ESMHLs play a critical role in mental health and education sessions by collaborating with licensed clinicians such as counselors (LPC) or social workers (LCSW). Their primary responsibility is to advocate for the well-being of the equine, ensuring ethical treatment and observing the horse’s responses to client interactions during therapeutic sessions.

As a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center, Healing With Horses Ranch follows over 150 standards to ensure that our programs provide the best care for both clients and equines. These rigorous standards guarantee the highest level of service in mental health and learning, humane care for our equines, and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.