The Hoofbeat: March 2021
March is Brain Injury
and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Equine therapy can help brain injury patients, study finds

by Sarah Radford

Animal assisted therapy (AAT), including the use of equines, can significantly improve the social behaviour and communication skills of patients suffering from brain injuries, a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Basel aimed to explore the emerging field of AAT and investigate whether it could be used to address impaired social competence.

Some 50m to 60m people suffer traumatic brain injuries each year, making effective therapies a much-needed tool for rehabilitation.
Study Backs Therapeutic Benefits Of Horseback Riding

by Michelle Diament

Horseback riding is frequently offered for people with developmental disabilities and now a new analysis suggests that the activity really does have a therapeutic benefit.

In a review of existing studies, researchers found that horseback riding interventions helped boost strength, balance and other skills for both children and adults with a range of physical and developmental disabilities.

Improvements to the Round Pen
After months of hard work - assembling and reassembling each panel, sanding, welding - equine and facilities manager Duane and volunteer Vince have completed their ambitious round pen project!

The round pen is an incredible resource for Hearts. It provides a shady space to hold lessons in the summertime, a dry area for lessons in the rainy months, and an ideal space for us to exercise our horses. 

We are so very grateful to have this incredible structure at our facility, and we are even more thankful to Duane and Vince for taking great care of it. Thank you!

Each panel was removed from the round pen and was sanded and refinished. Fixes were also made to the steel frames.
We are so grateful for our tractor. It does the heavy lifting!
Each refinished piece of wood was reinstalled into the steel panels. This was done 20 times to complete the entire round pen.
Voilà! The round pen is complete! Thanks again to Duane and Vince for their hard work.
Just for Fun: 'My Paintbrush Bites' Documentary
The Horse With a Penchant for Painting

Video by  Joel Pincosy and Joe Egender

Stories of people and animals bringing comfort to one another are a dime a dozen on the internet. But every once in a while, an interspecies communion rises above the din. Ron Krajewski and his horse, Metro Meteor, are one such pair. The short documentary My Paintbrush Bites, directed by Joel Pincosy and Joe Egender and premiering today on The Atlantic, tells their remarkable story—one of a reclusive failed artist who finds redemption in the unlikeliest of places.

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Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center | (805) 964-1519 | info@heartsriding.org | www.heartsriding.org