February 2019
Volume 19, Number 1
FREE
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Lisa Dapprich with her mini therapy horses Tashie, Jiminy Cricket and Princess Lily.
Miniature “therapy horses” brighten the lives of local seniors By Gina Mazza For Beaver County Senior News
R oss Township resident
growing trend because these tiny equines are uniquely suited for it.
Lisa Dapprich has enjoyed riding horses for most of her life, and now she is partnering with her four-legged friends to bring joy to others’ lives, as well.
Even Lisa, who has been training retired racehorses for decades, knew nothing about miniatures. “I thought they looked cute, but what do you do with them?” she wondered.
As the founder of Lovebug Therapeutic Horses, LLC, Lisa trains miniature horses to serve as therapy animals. Most folks are familiar with canines being employed in the role of service and therapy animals, but the use of miniature horses is a slowly
As it turns out, minis are quite adept at helping the elderly, people with disabilities, hospital patients and others in recovery. The simple act of petting them brings calm and comfort. Even smaller than ponies, minis are affectionate, high-
ly intelligent and easy to train, and they live longer than dogs—about 25 to 30 years. How Lisa got into animal therapy work is a story of healing in itself. “It all ties back to my mom, Betty,” Lisa explains. “Mom had been living with me since about 2016, during the past few years of her life. I’d bring the horses into the house for her to see. As therapy animals, part of their training is experiencing being in a small room, standing still, being around crowds and noise, walking Continued on page 8
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