AN INSPIRING TAIL

Vinceremos’ equine therapy programs serve people with physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychological disabilities.

HORSES ARE AT THE HEART OF HEALING AT VINCEREMOS

By Ginger Harris

It was 1982 when Ruth Menor started doing equine therapy in a friend’s backyard with her own horse. “Horses have always helped me deal with adversity in my life,” says Menor. “I wanted to share that with others in need.”

Today, that backyard endeavor has blossomed into Vinceremos, a therapeutic riding facility located in Loxahatchee Groves, boasting 24 horses on 15 acres of land. Marking 40 years of transforming lives with horses, the center offers equine therapy and hippotherapy to serve children and adults with cognitive, physical, emotional, and psychological disabilities. It’s also a premier accredited center that has trained two USA Special Olympic athletes who have won gold, silver, and bronze medals in their respective sports.

With services like adaptive horseback riding, adaptive carriage driving, hippotherapy, equineassisted learning and education, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and pre-employment training, Vinceremos helps its students build confi dence, selfesteem, social skills, and life skills. “We draw similarities and give tools that help [individuals] make better choices [and lead] a more fulfi lled life,” says Susan Guinan, Vinceremos’ executive director.

Hippotherapy programs help children as young as 3 years old with issues related to traumatic brain injuries or strokes. The movement of the horse causes a rocking of the torso, which helps students develop their core muscles.

When it comes to psychotherapy, Guinan says observing horses at rest and play can provide a way for people in crisis to better express their emotions. “When you come to the farm and we put three horses in an area, maybe two are boxing, and that can look like either fi ghting or playing,” she explains. “The way you describe it says how someone sees the situation. If the third horse is off standing by themself and we ask, ‘What is that horse feeling?’ They may answer, ‘Afraid,’ or ‘They just want some quiet time to themself.’ The description is their experience in life. But we are talking about the horses and not them, which is a much easier conversation for them to have.”

In today’s trying post-quarantine climate, Vinceremos has recently expanded its program to include fi rst responders, high schoolers, and those suffering from depression and anxiety.

Both Menor and Guinan say it’s all worth it when you see the progress students like Madyson make on a daily basis. “My little girl, who was afraid of nearly everything, is now a self-assured young lady, who is tacking and untacking her horse independently, vaulting with Ms. Ruth, and willing to take risks,” says Madyson’s mother. “Vinceremos gave Mady joy, purpose, and a tribe of people she calls her own. Mady wants to help others overcome their fears and disabilities through therapeutic riding. It literally changed the trajectory of her life.” (vinceremos.org) «