VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For help coping with mental and emotional issues, an increasing number of people are turning to therapy horses.
Many find equine therapy to be effective and comforting, including Julia Lee from Virginia Beach. Her face lights up when she's saddled up to her riding buddy, Forrest.
"It's helped her behaviorally. She has [down syndrome] and it's helped calm her down," said Julia's father, Peter Lee.
Peter says he's been taking Julia to EQUI-KIDS for 14 years.
"I feel like it gives her a sense of control that she's riding a big animal," said Peter.
The nonprofit equine therapy facility is located in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach. Peter says since Julia began equine therapy, he's noticed a difference in how she navigates social settings.
"It's helped her out a lot. It's given her a lot of confidence and it's helped her become more social," said Peter.
Julia is one of hundreds of clients at EQUI-KIDS. The nonprofit provides equine therapy to people of all ages - not just kids. They specialize in various forms of therapy to meet the needs of each individual.
"We've expanded services to include speech therapy [and] occupational therapy. We have a mental health program. We have a EQUI-VETS program, we service the military community... We've also expanded to EQUI-HEROES to include first responders," said Program Director Kathy Chitwood.
They also added a psychotherapy option a few years ago.
With the expansion of programs, EQUI-KIDS has seen a boom in spring enrollment classes. In fact, the nonprofit says it's the largest they've seen in the program's 35-year- history.
Chitwood says the demand increased after the pandemic and is still growing. She believes it reflects a shift in how people deal with mental health issues.
"The stigma to mental health is changing and it's being accepted and I think people just need the help," said Chitwood.
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She says 160 people a week will be attending classes - a sharp increase from 120 people a week this time last year.
However, the nonprofit is heavily dependent upon volunteers. Chitwood says they need more, especially with the increased demand.
"We have a little over 1,100 volunteer openings for the spring session. We have 233 volunteers," said volunteer coordinator Renee Grimstead.
It's quite a unique gig: you get to hang out with majestic, sweet creatures, and there's no experience necessary.
"We will teach you everything that you need to know and you can really take it as far as you want to," said Chitwood.
She says part of the reason people enjoy volunteering is the riders' enthusiasm.
"The riders love to be here, so that's very infectious," said Chitwood. "The volunteers tend to love it too."
No matter how you want to help out, you'll be creating a bright spot in someone's day.
For more information on EQUI-KIDS and the programs it offers, click here.
