Through a program with the San Diego American Indian Health Center, animal encounters offered by Pine Valley nonprofit help work wonders for young hearts and minds
As soon as she stepped into the arena at Heart-N-Soul in Pine Valley, Alpine resident Cenovia Elias connected with the ranch’s horses. The 15-year-old stroked their necks and backs and ran a brush through their coats.
While she seemed like a natural, her visit to Heart-N-Soul Equine Assisted Therapy on Aug. 4 was the first time Cenovia had interacted with horses. Years of watching horse care videos on YouTube helped prepare her to be with the animals in a safe and respectful way, but spending time with them felt more special than she imagined.
“When I was younger, I got really into horses and I was like, ‘I want to own one of these,’ ” Cenovia said. “I’ve been around goats and chickens, but that’s it, so this is kind of magical.”
Cenovia and her 12-year-old brother visited Heart-N-Soul, a nonprofit, as part of a youth group visit organized by the San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC). With three full-size horses, a miniature horse, miniature donkey, chickens, goats, parrots and dogs, the ranch has plenty of animals to interact with.
Equine-assisted therapy is an approach through which individuals interact with horses with the aim of promoting emotional, cognitive and physical well-being. Through guided activities with a therapist and relationships with horses, participants can develop valuable life skills and improve their overall mental health.
Founder Jaye Strother, who operates Heart-N-Soul with her husband, Andrew Strother, said one of her regular clients is a 13-year-old girl who is being bullied at school. Another is a woman in her late 40s who is navigating problems within her family.
“It’s just a wonderful combination of animals and counseling,” Jaye said.
Research shows that participating in therapy sessions involving horses can have myriad benefits on a client’s well-being.
Research from New York University published in 2022 found that in a study of children ages 6 to 17, a 10-week, therapeutic horse-riding program reduced symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety and improved emotional regulation. A 2018 study from the University of Delaware and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay showed that equine therapy can have positive effects on behavioral skills and social communication for people with autism spectrum disorder.
While many animals have been linked to therapeutic benefits, interacting with horses can have an additional benefit, as their large stature may seem intimidating at first.
“I can put you on that horse, and it will give you some confidence, it will give you some self-assurance and will help you work on your balance,” Andrew said.
At Heart-N-Soul, sessions typically begin with the client introducing themselves to the horse. Although the horses all have names, Jaye and Andrew won’t share them, instead encouraging clients to think of their own names for the horses to personalize the experience.
In a conversation after their time in the arena with the horses, some of the kids from SDAIHC shared what they named their horses: Brownie, Bloodstone, Cookie and Snickers.
By picking their own names, it can give some insight into how a client is feeling.
“I once had somebody that named my miniature donkey Prozac, which to me was very telling,” Jaye said.
In one-on-one and group sessions, Andrew and Jaye will ask clients whether any of the horses remind them of someone from their lives. Likening a horse to a loved one can help process feelings, especially if someone is grieving.
“It reminded me of my grandmas who passed away,” said Melody Andraca, a 10-year-old SDAIHC youth group member. She said her grandmothers would say they’d be reincarnated as hummingbirds, butterflies or horses after they died.
The youth group’s session on Aug. 4 also included an activity where one person was blindfolded while leading the horses through a simple obstacle course.
As the kids tried to avoid stepping on foam shapes, other kids on either side of them were instructed to give either true or false directions to help them navigate. In doing so, the Strothers aimed to share a lesson about how there can be many distractions in life and people who don’t have your best interests in mind, so it’s important to learn to trust yourself and find trustworthy friends to confide in.
Jennifer Fuentecilla, SDAIHC youth program manager, said that many kids today face stress from family, school, social media and peer pressure. She said the center’s staff brought the youth group to the ranch to counterbalance that stress.
“It is our hope that being immersed in creation, in nature and in the peace and tranquility that brings, provides a sense of beauty and escape from stress,” Fuentecilla said. “Sometimes we don’t realize that youth gets inundated with the demands of daily life, and that they forget that there’s this whole other world that can bring such fulfillment to them.”
In addition to the equine-assisted therapy on the farm, the Strothers also take small animals like birds to local nursing homes for in-house, animal therapy group sessions.
Jaye has seen the positive emotional benefits of interacting with horses firsthand while undergoing breast cancer treatment. While going through chemotherapy and recovery from a mastectomy, she said the horses were there for her as a shoulder to cry on.
“They’re very grounding. It brings you back to the present and reality,” Jaye said. “It just really helped settle my nerves a little bit knowing that they don’t care that I had a single mastectomy or I only have one boob. They don’t judge me like that. They still love me like they did before.”
Heart-N-Soul will host a barbecue, silent auction and bachelor auction fundraiser at Junction Outback in Descanso from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 10. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchase online at bit.ly/heartnsoulfundraiser. For more information about the nonprofit, visit heartnsoulequine.org.
Get CaregiverSD in your inbox on Mondays
Helpful tips, information and resources from caregiverSD.com in your inbox Monday mornings.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune.