With Canine Angels For Heaven

Diane and Joe Ponzo have been rescuing medically-challenged seniors and hospice dogs since July 13, 1990. After rescuing their first pug angel, Tiger Joe, they decided to turn their passion into an organization called Canine Angels for Heaven on August 1, 2017. “We realized way back in 1990 that there were not enough people that wanted to take in medically challenged and hospice dogs,” says Diane. “People were just letting them go to die by themselves. Everyone wanted the puppies or younger dogs, but no one wanted the seniors, medically challenged seniors or hospice dogs.” Thus, their passion to help this group of dogs was born.

What is Pet Hospice? It is caring for an end of life Canine Angel. For example, a dog is diagnosed with cancer, his/her family does not want to watch them decline, so they call us and relinquish their dog to us. We give this Canine Angel the best love, family and all necessary medical care. This Canine Angel will be with us until they go to heaven. They will die with dignity, love and support from us; never ever alone!

Canine Hospice entails giving all of the above, including all the medical care they need. We work with a couple of wonderful vets who help us out with this. Hospice Care means being with them 24/7, it means giving them all the attention they need, all the paw holding they need and all the fun they can handle. It means road trips, picnics, special dinners, meeting people, going for stroller rides, swimming and more. It means giving them their medicine on time, giving them love and giving them the time they need to deal with their illness; it means being with them until the end and never leaving them. Hospice means being up at night and being sleep-deprived when an Angel is not feeling well; it means rocking them in the rocking chair until they fall asleep; it means being with them at their best and at their worst.

What are the costs? Costs are expensive. When a Canine Angel comes into our care, they go right to the vet to get checked out. We need to know exactly what is wrong and how we can give them the best life and best ending possible. A general vet visit can cost anywhere from $100.00 to thousands of dollars depending on the problem. We ask questions like: Do they need surgery? Do they need a dental? Generally, they need medicine and that is expensive at any pharmacy. Sometimes the vet carries medications, and sometimes we have to get it at the general pharmacy. These Canine Angels will be on their medications until the very end. They all go to the vet for their medication checks, cancer checks, heart checks or whatever their illness is. They all get checked out according to the vet’s recommendations.

What types of pets qualify for hospice? Cancer, Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tumors, Kidney Failure, Liver Failure, Degenerative Disc Disease, Blind, Deaf, and anything else that we might come across. We also take in medically challenged pets such as ones with missing limbs or those who are not able to walk properly due to injury or disease.

Scooter-Roo came into our hospice because he was born with no front legs. This means he is medically challenged and a senior. When his human mama died, his family of 10 years did not want him. Scooter-Roo made the trip from Texas to come live with us. Daisy May, a 1-year-old little terrier mix came into our home on March 6, 2019. She came to us because she was supposed to die. She was beaten, abused, suffering from malnutrition and was dehydrated. It was one of the worst cases of abuse Chicago Animal Control had seen in years. On March 2, 2019, she was treated in the emergency room and stayed there until we received the call we could take her home. When we took over her care, they thought because of her malnutrition, she was going to have organ failure and die. If she did survive, she certainly would never walk. Well, with lots of love, rehabilitation and care from us and two of our wonderful volunteers, mother/daughter team Savanna and Melissa Volck, Daisy May survived. She can now walk, run, bark and have fun. Because she was beaten so badly on her head, she will always have short-term memory loss and vision loss, but that does not stop this fighter. She made a miraculous recovery and was adopted by the family who volunteers with us and who was instrumental in her recovery.

We have taken in medically challenged and hospice senior dogs from as far away as Kuwait. We have a medically challenged dog from Kuwait named Flately. He was brought to the meat market in Kuwait, and his angel was there to save him. They then called us and a few weeks later Flately was brought to the United States to receive proper medical care for degenerative disc disease.

What to expect… Most vets will tell the human parents their dog has a terminal condition or their dog has a problem that incurable or insolvable. Sometimes the human parents will tell the vet they are unable or unwilling to deal with it, and when the vet tells them their options, one option is to give them our card or call us. Sometimes the people will go home and think about things and then call us. Most rescues know about us and will also call us.

How many Angels can be cared for at one time? My husband, Joe, works from home. He is gone four to five hours per week. I work for a local hospital system and work four days per week. We can take care of several Canine Angels. We have a couple of great volunteers that help us. They love the Canine Angels and care for them, so we can do things that need to get done around the house. They rock and love these Canine Angels as if they were their very own. Without our wonderful volunteers, this task would be more difficult, but they help us ensure our Canine Angels are never alone.

Can previous owners visit their dogs? Once a Canine Angel is relinquished into our care, most people cannot drop off their dog fast enough and never look back. Most do not care and 99.5 percent NEVER want to know what is happening again. A couple of times, a request has come through for updates. We will update previous owners for a while just so the previous owner knows our new Canine Angel is adjusting well.

We have a large fenced-in area for the dogs with a tent that has a heater in it. The Canine Angels can go potty in this heated tent when it is cold, snowy or there is nasty weather. It heats up to about 75 degrees. We have a therapy pool in our basement that is 88 degrees. Each dog has his or her own life jacket and, if needed, a head rest. We do go in the pool with them.

There were and still are so many senior dogs, medically challenged dogs and hospice dogs that are alone in shelters. They are alone and dying by themselves with no one to love them or care for them. They sit there when people come looking for their new younger dog. The poor dog is sad, lonely and feels unloved and sometimes unworthy of love.

What we do is a 24/7 labor of love. We do not go on vacations. If we go out, it might be for a couple of hours, but then we need to get back home because the angels need us. We do not want to miss medicine times, insulin times for diabetic dogs or therapy times.

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My Three Wishes!

This year has been rough. I’ve been keeping my family and myself in a bubble of fear. Can you relate? Not only are most of us still afraid of catching this deadly virus, but also a lot of us have small businesses that are suffering from the previous Stay-at-Home order. As each day goes by, I try to force myself to stay present. It seems to be the safest place to be right now…at least for my own sanity. The future has way too much uncertainty and the past is over—so there’s no changing that. I’ve decided that I need to reexamine what’s important to me today. I need to make three wishes for the rest of this year, and make them come true. Wish Number One: Become and remain healthy. I don’t know about all of you…but I’ve definitely been packing on the pandemic pounds. Besides the coronavirus, killer hornets, 5G, protests and riots, my personal kryptonite and comfort food in 2020 has become cake…I LOVE CAKE! My body, however, is not a big fan of cake…or exercising…but you’ve got to start somewhere. Wish Number Two: Try to smile more and be happy. I hate Facebook with a passion. On one side, you have all of those happy family photos and vacations which look so amazing…so my brain goes…why can’t I have that? STOP. Pictures are so deceiving. Appreciate what you have right now. Other people’s lives aren’t always greener. Take, for instance, the complete opposite side of this like all the depressing posts and articles about death and suffering. Sometimes you need to tune it out and turn it all off. Adding more anxiety into my day isn’t helping me accomplish wish one or two. Wish Number Three: This one is my favorite wish of all: Do something great. It’s pretty broad, but I feel the need to do or be a part of something great. It could be simply helping out my fellow neighbor or taking on a cause that requires immense time and commitment. I must do something that is out of my comfort zone, something that will change and reflect who I am meant to be in the future.

What are your three wishes for the rest of this year?
Let’s try to manifest a better 2020 together.

May All Of Your Fears Disappear & May All Of Your Wishes Come True,

N.Putz

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Just One Tail: Sadie Stops Sheboygan Shoppers in Their Tracks!

I bet Sadie never thought she’d be a working dog with a somewhat local-celebrity status in Sheboygan. But here she is by my side at The Rickety Wagon every day and now in this article!

Why did I decide to adopt Sadie?

After staying in a hostel in Colombia that had Chihuahuas living on-site, I decided it was time to get a dog of my own. In the past, I was accustomed to having big dogs, so this time I decided to get a smaller Chihuahua-type dog. Where from you ask? At the time, my sister had started fostering at a new rescue out of Fond du Lac county called Sandi Paws Rescue. I decided to peruse their website, and I fell in love with Sadie when I saw her with the one droopy ear. Like all the other dogs from Sandi Paws, she was a rescue from the south. And from what I was told, she is from a hoarding situation in Alabama.

In March of 2015, I met her at a PetSmart adoption event and took her home! This March marks our 5-year-adoptaversary and her 7th birthday. She has been an amazing dog from the beginning and luckily came into my life without any major behavioral problems. Her papers list her as a Chihuahua Mix, but her vet suggested she is part Italian Greyhound, which was a breed I never heard of before. I was happy to see a feature on that breed recently in “FETCH Magazine.” Her temperament reflects both breeds: Her ability to outrun every dog at the dog park reflects the Greyhound, and her disinterest in playing with the other dogs most of the time reflects the Chihuahua in her. When I first adopted her, I noticed she was pretty fearful of all men. Now, after several years, this has improved. For a long time, she would hardly take a treat from my dad. This was strange and surprising to see given her extreme food obsession. Now she jumps on his lap when she sees him. She has learned to trust a few other men, too, but still prefers women and children. When I started my business this past year, it occurred to me that it was possible to take her to work with me. So I tried it out a few times, and she does great. She now comes with me almost every day. She greets everyone that comes in the store (unless its nap time), and it brings such a smile to people’s faces. Sometimes people forget they are there to shop! A few regulars come with treats. She’s especially good with kids (which was a work requirement for her), so a number of kids ask their parents to stop at the “dog” store.

Her presence has become such a conversation starter and makes this place feel so much friendlier! Plus, I love that I get to spend all day with her, and she doesn’t have to be home for such long stretches. So as a thank you to Sandi Paws Rescue for bringing this girl into my life, I will be donating 5 percent of sales from the month of March. Happy shopping!

Article Courtesy of Lisa Stewart

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Off-the-Leash with BackCountry Animal Chiropractic

Helping Spines of All Kinds

Dr. Morgan moved to Wisconsin and started her business in June 2018. She has been happily helping four-legged patients and their two-legged humans ever since. Her passion for chiropractic grew alongside her journey an obtaining her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Sherman College of Chiropractic in South Carolina, then onto Texas for postgraduate training. Today, McCaskill services “spines of all kinds,” as she likes to say and works in and around the Kiel area.

Describe Your Patients?
The majority of the patients I see are horses, dogs and humans. However, I see many other animal species for chiropractic care such as cats and cows. It is my opinion that anything with a spine can benefit from chiropractic care. My post graduate education in animal chiropractic mostly focused on horses and dogs, but I was given the tools to be able to study any animal’s spine to be able to provide them with care.

Some of my favorite patients to care for are horse and rider teams. Both see the benefit of chiropractic for their athletic performance and in their day to day lives. I cannot tell you how many times growing up riding horses that I heard “your horse is your mirror image.” When I started working with horse and rider pairs and seeing the same compensation patterns, it gave this phrase a whole new meaning to me. Horses are truly amazing in the way they adapt to our shortcomings as riders so that they can still perform their jobs, and rarely do they complain about it until it becomes a major issue. There are many riders that are now under my care for chiropractic because they would see improvement for the first few rides following adjustment, but then their horse would revert back to the same issue (such as not being able to pick up the correct lead, being grumpy when getting tacked up, head tossing, etc.). When I asked the rider the last time they had chiropractic care, they would often answer never. I will almost always find a pelvic imbalance, which can lead to uneven leg length and an unbalanced rider. After an adjustment to restore balance in the rider as well as the horse, those chiropractic adjustments start holding better and longer.

Is horse chiropractic different?
The basics of chiropractic care for horses is the same as for humans or smaller pets. The ultimate goal of chiropractic is to remove restrictions and misalignments found in the spine. Both human and animal spines house our nervous system, which consists of our brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves that branch from the spinal cord and supply the rest of the body. If there are misalignments in our spine, it results in pressure on the nervous system and a breakdown of communication in the body. We call these subluxations. Depending on where there is a dysfunction in communication, you can see different manifestations. Some common ones are fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased motion and pain. Chiropractic care addresses subluxations by using a gentle adjustment to restore the body’s ability to function optimally, communicate and heal from within.

A typical equine chiropractic appointment with me starts with an analysis of posture and gait, which tells me a lot about how the horse is functioning. Following this, I perform an assessment of the nervous system by checking certain reflexes. Then I go through every joint, checking motion and muscle tone of the surrounding tissue. Using all of this information, I know when and where to apply a chiropractic adjustment. I think it is very important to educate the owner as I adjust and show them the differences before and after an adjustment. Horses are big animals (I have some that I cannot even see over their withers without my adjusting bale!), so a typical appointment lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour. Canine chiropractic appointments have a similar flow, but they typically last about 30 minutes.

What are the benefits?
There are many wonderful benefits of chiropractic care!
Increases joint range of motion • Increases energy • Reduces inflammation
Increases circulation • Relaxes tight muscles • Reduces pain
Stimulates the nervous system, which can improve organ function
Reduces adhesions in joints

How long is recovery from an injury?
Healing is a process and varies from case to case. The same injury in one horse may take a month to recover, whereas it can take another 3 months for another. That recovery time depends a lot on the commitment and diligence of the owner to keep up with chiropractic care, at-home exercises and if we are doing other treatments in conjunction with chiropractic.

One of my patients is a 21-year-old Arabian cross Cob gelding named Monty. Monty was referred for a chiropractic evaluation by his primary veterinarian due to deficits in the function of his nervous system. Specifically, Monty was having trouble walking and did not seem to know where his feet were. His veterinarian thought he may have another underlying neurologic issue but suggested that chiropractic may help him heal and could be started while they waited for test results. At his first visit, Monty was very unstable, could barely walk and looked as though his legs were about to give out from under his body. When I performed testing on his nervous system, most of the reflexes were not present, and the ones that Monty had were not normal. I only adjusted his neck and pelvis at the first visit and let his body adapt to those changes. By his second visit one week later, the test results had come back from the vet, showing no signs of an underlying condition, so we decided the best course of action was chiropractic. Monty had his spine checked for subluxations once a week for 6 weeks. Each week we saw improvement in his posture, gait and reflexes.

The improvement was slow at first, but as time went on, we began to see more improvement at each visit. At his week 6 appointment, I saw enough improvement in Monty’s ability to hold his adjustments that we extended appointments. His gait had improved on the straightaways, though he still had difficulty with tight turns, and his reflexes were all present and normal. Monty was even doing some short trot bursts out in pasture, though his trotting was by no means a normal gait. Just before his appointment with me on week 8, Monty’s vet came back out for a check-up, and had trouble catching him because he was running around out in the pasture! Monty has stayed under chiropractic care for maintenance care. Time between appointments has increased as he has been able to hold his adjustments better—now I am seeing him every other month. His owner has also been diligent about incorporating exercises into his daily routine to help his body heal and hold adjustments. Now Monty is out in pasture playing with his pasture mate, a mini donkey named Poncho, and you would never know that 6 months ago he could hardly walk.

To find out more about chiropractic care, check out BackCountry Animal Chiropractic’s website backcountryanimalchiropractic.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

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Off-the-Leash with Copper Arrow Photography

And in a Flash…It Just Happened

Owner and founder of Copper Arrow Photography, Aubray Vande Corput has been smitten by horses since she was a little girl. She knew that becoming a veterinarian was not her calling but also needed to find a niche in the world of horses. In 2018, she choose to combine her love of photography with her love of horses. “Something just clicked. I immediately loved it. I could foresee this being my business, and something that I would be proud to build on and grow,” says Corput.

Why Horses?
It all started at a fair. You know those pony rides where the children can ride the miniature horses? My parents made the mistake of letting me ride the pony. It also didn’t help that my cousin was taking riding lessons and that the barn was less than a mile from my house. So it began. I was 5 years old when I started taking riding lessons. I remember wanting to learn how to ride, and my trainer would take the whole lesson to teach me the parts on a saddle, or how to tack a horse up, or simply feeding, grooming and caring for horses. As a child, I was so impatient because all I wanted to do was get on the back of the horse and ride. But it taught me what owning a horse really entailed. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop me from wanting my own horse.

When I was 9, that dream became a reality. I was the proud owner of a very large, very young, paint gelding named Flash. Sadly, he tried to buck me off every chance he had. I learned how to have a good seat, so I am grateful for his ability to teach me that! He found a perfect new owner who was more experienced than I was, and that led me to my “heart horse” as the horse world calls it. She was a short, chestnut mare with an attitude. But I loved that mare with every bit of my heart. After 7 wonderful years, old age got the best of her, and I lost my best friend. My heart was broken. I had a few snapshots that my mom had taken and a couple from our shows together. But after she was gone, I didn’t have much left of our memories together. I saved her halter, I still have it to this day, along with her stall plaque. But, as technology changed and grew, the digital photos I had of her were lost. Once I started high school, I took up photography and I loved it. (Turns out my great-grandpa was also a photographer. I didn’t learn that until later in life.) But photography was set aside when I graduated. At the time, I never thought it was an option for me. But the second time around, it took off, and I don’t plan on putting it down anytime soon.

Horses Only? What Makes Photographing Horses Unique?
No. I also specialize in high school senior portraits. High school seniors seem to go hand in hand with their horses. They are such big parts of our lives and how we are shaped over the years. They really define us. If you meet a true horse girl, you will know almost immediately how much she loves horses. To include horses in your senior pictures helps tell the story of who you are as a person, and it helps tell this chapter in your life.

Photographing horses is unique because you have to know horses. You have to know what is flattering on a horse and what isn’t. You have to look for certain expressions; They can be so minor, but an owner is going to be able to pick out how their horse was feeling in that exact moment. Beyond knowing what to look for, you need to be able to safely work with the horse to achieve the right expressions and poses. You have to make sure the horse isn’t getting stressed out. Working with horses for over 20 years has given me the insight and experience to accomplish successful photoshoots.

Do You Travel?
I am always up for travel! I am based in Green Bay, Wis., but I will travel anywhere. I will be in Florida this March photographing many hunter/jumpers down in Wellington. I also have plans to be in Texas this summer to photograph reiners and cow horses. In late summer, I will be in Pennsylvania for some lovely East Coast portrait sessions.

What is the best shoot you’ve done?
Oh, this is a tough one. I can’t pick a best ONE. I have things I love about each and every session. There are aspects of every session that make it wonderful. I try to take the positives from every session and remember why I loved that aspect of it, and what made it so wonderful and so forth. That can range from the client’s story, or maybe it was a beautiful backdrop, or maybe it was just the laughter shared.

Worst?
I can’t say I have had a “worst” session. I don’t know that I can say I have had even a “bad” session. If ever there is a negative aspect from a session, I analyze why that was. I try to learn from it to prevent it from happening again or to help me handle tough situations. I strive to give each and every client a fairytale session with the best experience possible.

Anything else you would like to add? People can view my website at copperarrowphotography.com or visit me on Facebook and Instagram.

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Therapy of a Different Breed

Copper Arrow Photography

COLLECTED, WRITTEN & EDITED
By NASTASSIA PUTZ, PAULA MACIOLEK & JESSICA PAIRRETT

Whether you have a child with behavior problems, a teenager with depression or anxiety, or a family member with physical health issues, equine therapy or hippotherapy can benefit anyone suffering physical, mental or emotional ailments.

The earliest known mention of equine therapy can be traced back to roughly 400 B.C. and was discovered in ancient writings from Greek physician Hippocrates.

It wasn’t until 1952 when Liz Hartel from Denmark won a silver medal in Grand Prix dressage at the Helsinki Olympic Games that it entered the limelight. Hartel found that using horses was a great way to strengthen her lower body, especially after she had developed some paralysis in her legs caused by polio. Hartel’s success woke up the medical and equine communities in Europe, and therapeutic riding programs began emerging.

Talk then traveled from Europe to the U.S. and Canada, giving like-minded individuals the initiative to start therapeutic riding centers in North America. In 1969, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was started and eventually became known as PATH International, which includes dozens of different equine-assisted activities that benefit people with special needs.

This brilliant and organic therapy can now be found locally in most areas and has helped shape the worlds of many. According to PATH International’s 2017 Fact Sheet, autism spectrum disorder is the number one most served population under the special needs umbrella. And ages 6 to 18 seem to be the majority of the participants in equine therapy. Take a look at some of the local ones here in Wisconsin.

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B.R.E.A.THE: We Have Your Back

BY PAULA MACIOLEK, COPY EDITOR

Just 45 minutes north of Madison, Wis., a non-profit organization called Baraboo River Equine-Assisted Therapies, Inc., also known as B.R.E.A.THE, Inc., offers equine-assisted activities and therapy or EAAT for people ages 4 and up who have special needs.

B.R.E.A.THE was started in 2016 by Chris Singer and her husband when they came back to their Midwest roots after living on their southern California horse ranch. “We had five horses when we came here,” Chris explained, “and were looking for a way to give back to the community and benefit people—more than just us.”

Riders of a wide variety of physical and other disabilities can participate in learning horsemanship, both inside and outside of the barn, and get great exercise. “We have a lot of riders with autism, physical disabilities and learning disabilities, PTSD, spina bifida, Down syndrome.” Riders do not control the horse but rather helpers on the ground do. For the most part, there isn’t any kind of special equipment needed in sessions. “It depends on the rider, of course. We’ll use a traditional saddle or bareback pad, and if they’re really unable to support themselves, they have a side walker that walks on each side of them. Ninety nine percent of our riders can sit themselves.”

While participants might be excluded from sports at school because of physical or cognitive limitations, they can enjoy the inclusion that EAAT offers. “You’re not going to find them playing soccer, but we can put them on a horse and teach them how to control a 1200-lb animal, and they’re learning something and building core strength and confidence. That’s the positive reinforcement that sports have that [our riders] are able to participate in.”

Volunteers are an important part of the efforts, and Singer is always looking for people who have weekday and evening availability Monday through Friday. Help with special events and fundraisers is needed, too.

Of course, the lessons cannot happen without the horses. They need to have a special temperament that Singer describes as “pretty bomb-proof.” She explained, “they have a lot of input they’re dealing with during a lesson, so it can be pretty stressful. They have someone on their back who doesn’t really know what they’re doing, and a lot of times they can be off-balance, so the horse is working hard to keep that person on their back.”

Singer currently has six horses, and she needs three more to join the ranch for summer sessions. “To go out on the open market, it can cost $2000 to $10000 to purchase a horse. We are lucky if we get someone to donate their horse.” It’s challenging to find a horse that is of the right temperament, has the ability to do certain things such as trotting, while not having too many cost-prohibitive medical needs.

People are referred to B.R.E.A.THE via school counselors, special education teachers, parents who network with each other and share with other parents, as well as students on field trips at the ranch who go home and tell their parents. Even chiropractors, physical therapists and county health specialists spread the word about the benefits of EAAT at B.R.E.A.THE.

To get involved at B.R.E.A.THE as a rider, a volunteer or to make a donation, visit barabooriverequineassistedtherapies.org or call 608-504-2299.

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Walk, Trot & Canter Your Way to Three Gaits

BY PAULA MACIOLEK, COPY EDITOR

Three Gaits, named for the three movements of a horse—walk, trot and canter—is a nonprofit organization that provides equine-assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) for people with physical, emotional and intellectual challenges. Located just south of Madison in Stoughton, it began in 1983 under the leadership of Gail Brown and Lorrie Renker with just one horse and eight riders and “a love for horses and an interest in providing equine-assisted activities for individuals with disabilities in Dane County,” describes Mary Ann Roth, interim executive director.

Clients range from age 4 to 70 and may have physical, emotional and intellectual challenges or disabilities including, but not limited to, autism, ADD/ADHD and Down syndrome.

Three Gaits offers therapeutic horseback riding led by instructors who are certified by PATH International. Services include group sessions that are mounted and unmounted education in which riding skills with a therapeutic value are taught. They also offer both occupational therapy and hippotherapy. Roth explains that occupational therapy in this setting “utilizes the movement of the horse as the treatment tool.” Hippotherapy is provided by a licensed occupational therapist and is done in a one-on-one setting. Sessions run three per year in 12-week sessions.

Roth lists the benefits riders receive as a “gain in physical strength, balance, increased self-esteem, following directions, learning a new skill, socialization with classmates, [and] volunteers and staff developing a special bond with their horse.”

Three Gaits enjoys the efforts of approximately 350 volunteers who are involved with office work, care of the horses and fundraising to name just a few. They also are involved with hands-on work in the lessons supporting the riders by walking alongside and leading the horses. Roth shared that “…they come to us with a wide range of skills to offer, and what skills they do not have, we provide training. We are always looking for more volunteers.”

The work of the EAAT provided at the ranch is supported from United Way and grants from foundations. Private donors are a vital source of monetary support, and Three Gaits relies heavily upon them. Fundraising events are also held through yearly events that include several horse shows, a student horse show, a tomato plant sale and a major event taking place in the fall as well as a continuing GoFundMe effort to help with covering the cost of hay, which Roth reports as having “…almost tripled in the last year with unpredictable weather and such a wet growing season.”

The horses in their barn range in terms of breed and Roth describes them as having a calm disposition, gentle, sound, in good health, experienced in a variety of riding disciplines. Often, they will add to their barn by people donating horses. Sometimes, children have a horse while growing up and when they leave for college, they donate the horse to Three Gaits.

People find out about Three Gaits by word of mouth, from doctors and therapists, referring participants as well as state case workers.

To find out more about the EAAT programs, visit 3gaits.org or call 608-877-9086.

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Stepping Into Equine Therapy

BY JESSICA PAIRRETT, COPY EDITOR

Snuggles and kisses, gentle nuzzles and hilarious antics. These are all attributes we love about spending time with our dogs. We’ll include the feline variety in there as well. But what about the quality time spent with horses? If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet, you’re sure missing out.

Located in Franksville, Stepping Stone Farms is one of those special places where you can meet a number of equally special horses. The nonprofit is a therapeutic facility that also rescues or receives donated horses. Lia Sader, founder of Stepping Stone Farms, says that horses have been her passion since she was a young girl. In Lia’s past life, she was a farrier working on horses’ shoes and hooves. But in 2004, her calling changed, and the farm was born.

Saving Those in Need
Stepping Stone Farms, while rescuing horses of any breed, keeps a focus on those who are older. Working with horses also included working with their owners, many of whom had the wrong breed of horse that did not meet their needs, Lia says. Sadly, Lia also met many owners who no longer wanted their horses because they could no longer be ridden or there was another unforseen circumstance.

Most of the horses that come to the farm are leaving bad situations. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have been intentionally neglected or did not receive good care. Sometimes, Lia says, the horse’s owner is doing the best he or she can to care for the animal, as can happen with dog rescue. One of the horses Stepping Stone Farms took in came from a situation in which its family just could not afford the food, and the horse was extremely malnourished. But this is where the beauty of rescue steps in to help the horses continue along their journey.

“The horses need to live their lives, have a job and do something,” Lia says. Just because a horse may be older or have a foot condition does not mean their life is over. This just means they’re ready to move on to that next chapter.

One rather particular fellow is 40-year-old Pony who Lia describes as a grumpy old man—but not all the time. He’ll keep to himself but knows how to be a friend, too. One visitor to the farm, a young girl, had poor social skills and had a hard time making friends. That is, until Pony followed the little girl around the show ring. “He taught her how to be a friend,” Lia marvels. This goes to show that age is nothing but a number!

A Therapeutic Mission
Saving animals, both large and small, may warm the hearts of some of us. Those same animals can also provide therapeutic benefits. Stepping Stone Farms offers therapeutic riding but also programming for children and adults who have mental health issues. Equine-assisted coaching is one way in which the horses are used for therapy.

Lia is a huge proponent of Eagala certification, in which an equine specialist and a mental health clinician work as a team along with a client and a horse. The Eagala model is ground-based with no riding involved. This allows children and adults of all abilities to take part in the therapy. The group works inside an arena, and the horse and client can interact as they wish, which creates a deep connection and gives the client space for reflection.

Clients at Stepping Stone Farms will currently work alongside Lia and a chosen horse (she has an opening for a therapist!) to build self-efficacy, self-confidence, self-acceptance and self-discovery. While working with these giant, gentle beings, clients also build skills in communication, trust, assertiveness, healthy boundaries and impulse moderation. Equine therapy also helps in the reduction of anxiety and isolation.

Having experienced the benefits of equine therapy herself, Lia wants to share the same benefits with others. When Lia was 17, her mom passed away. Lia used to suffer from depression, and it was time spent with animals—horses in particular—that helped her heal.

Why Horses?
Horses may be large and powerful, but their size can help us take pause and reflect on times when we feel overwhelmed with large obstacles looming ahead of us. Plus, they are intelligent and especially sensitive to their environment. That includes reading our body language which they interpret and respond to accordingly. And, just like our beloved dogs, horses have their own personalities, moods and attitudes, too (remember Pony?).

Why not stop and check out Stepping Stone Farms yourself? During the last weekend of April, make sure to visit the farm’s free fundraising event “A Day of Horse Play.” The event is held rain or shine and will offer a good time whether or not you bring the kids!

Call (414) 379-2314 or visit steppingstonefarms.com for more info.

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MKE Urban Stables: A Home, A Hub & A Haven for Healing

BY NASTASSIA PUTZ, PUBLISHER

Development of the MKE Urban Stables is well underway and will be completed sometime this spring. Located at 143 East Lincoln Avenue, the stables will be first and foremost a dual program to benefit Milwaukee youth and Veterans, while allowing the community to intermingle with police officers in a positive manner according to Kent Lovern, chief deputy district attorney of Milwaukee County.

Lovern is the board president for the stables and is excited to see the transformation that may come from officers and youths viewing the world through each other’s eyes. Ideally, these stables will help break down barriers between the two (often opposing) cultures and create a dialog in which both see the humanity in each other. He notes that youths will also be able to learn from the Veterans in the same capacity.

Ed Krishok, the vice president and treasurer of this project, says the facility, which will be a home for the MPD Mounted Patrol’s horses, will be ready sometime later this year for equine-assisted therapy, but a date has not yet been confirmed.

The MPD is partnering with the VA and Hamilton High School to make this therapeutic program possible according to Lovern. Hamilton High School is the largest Milwaukee public school with the largest number of special needs students. So students would benefit from a local facility geared towards helping them. And currently veterans have to travel to use a facility in Illinois for therapy.

Krishok would like to mention how grateful the stables are for its community partners who are responsible for bringing this “one-of-a-kind equine center and community gathering place to life.”

GOALS:

• Provide Equine Programs & Experiences That Keep Youth & Veterans Coming To MKE Urban Stables

• Improve Police and Community Relations by Helping to Build and Support a Human Connection Between Both

• Build a Culture & Appreciation of Service

• Establish MKE Urban Stables as a Multi-Cultural Gathering Place Reflective of Our City

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