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Bison's Senior Day

Updated: Aug 21, 2024

Just a few weeks ago, Sanctuary Horses invited some of Pinedale’s finest to come meet a couple of their horses, Hook & Willy. As if the horses weren’t enough of a draw,

they sweetened the deal (literally!)

by hosting the event at Bison’s Bounty,

where our honored guests were treated

to a scoop of ice cream, topped with a

tasty donut.


We invited folks from Rendezvous Pointe and the Sublette Center to meet at Bison’s where our equine friends were waiting outside. Katie, our board president, had treats on hand so that the seniors could feed the horses and make new friends. It was an amazing day! We had volunteers on hand to take Polaroids of the horses and humans together. And Jackie, our Executive Director, brought gifts for our guests - packets of greeting cards with beautiful shots of our beautiful horses. Everyone had such a fun time!



It was clear that some people had some horse experience in their background, and the

connection between them and our horses was almost palpable. Others weren’t as familiar with horses, but Hook and Willy are endearing creatures, and they were so happy to get the treats, the pets and the snuggles from their new friends.


At Sanctuary Horses, we believe strongly in the unique bonds that can take place between humans and animals, and horses seem to have a special way with people of all ages. While we have been able to witness it firsthand, there are countless studies and scholarly journals that back this up. In fact, the accounts can almost become overwhelming as one begins to really delve into the science of it all. There are countless acronyms: EAL - equine assisted learning, EAC - equine assisted coaching, EAI - equine assisted intervention, EAS - equine assisted services, ET - equine therapy, EAT - equine assisted therapy. You get the idea. And those are just some of the programs out there that link people and horses.

The other thing that is amazing is the wide swath of people who have experienced great help in working with horses. Many peer-reviewed studies on people who have autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and countless other challenges have demonstrated favorable results from spending time with horses, and we have included just a few below as examples. Again, one could plunge to the depths of the internet and find countless more!


We’re grateful that scholars are able to attest to what we get to witness in person. Whatever the malady, whatever the mood, we have seen our horses truly connect with humans of all ages. And without fail, the humans are better off for having spent time with these amazing animals. The seniors who got to meet Hook and Willy were all smiles as they got to nuzzle these sweet horses. We were delighted that we found a way to be a blessing to these men and women right here in our community. Who knew that ice cream and horse snuggles would pair so well! But they sure do.




Thank you again to the folks at the Sublette Center and Rendezvous Pointe for coming out to spend time with us. We enjoyed it so very much!




Effects of equine-assisted interventions on older adults’ health: A systematic review


The effects of equine-assisted psychotherapy on emotion regulators: Self-efficacy and

self-awareness as potential mediators



Equine assisted activities and therapies in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and a meta-analysis

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