Therapeutic Horses Of Saratoga: A Haven For Both Humans And Retired Racehorses

09/16/2024 10:10 AM

As Winston Churchill famously said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man,” and when it comes to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga, the statement certainly rings true.

Located in the heart of Saratoga Springs, New York, less than five miles down the road from Saratoga Race Course, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit serves as a haven for both humans and retired racehorses alike, working in partnership with local certified therapists to provide equine-assisted therapy to those in need of professional support.

The unique facility, where the healing power of being in the company of horses is on full display, was founded in 2018 by Dr. Erin Christopher-Sisk, a psychologist, and her husband, Jim.

The idea was born from Christopher-Sisk and her husband's love of animals, while the purchase of the farm in 2015 was inspired by their own growing herd of retired Standardbred racehorses as they learned about the importance of responsible retirement for both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses.

“Erin was very interested in the connection between the animals and her clients. She saw it from a very early day with her dogs at her practice, so she started taking her clients to see the horses. In 2015, she and Jim bought this farm so they'd have a place to put their horses. At the same time, it actually gave them an ability to expand her practice, which had already been growing organically as the need was tremendous,” said Kim Weir, who joined THS in January 2024 as the Director of Strategic Growth.

Christopher-Sisk is the founder and clinical director of ECS Psychological Services, based in downtown Saratoga and also out of the farm, which provides counseling services for children, adolescents, adults, families and couples with a wide variety of mental health approaches available.

With her perspective as a psychologist and a passion for aftercare, Christopher-Sisk knew that the creation of Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS) was not only the ideal scenario to provide a safe landing for retired racehorses, but to also grow her services by opening a door to a unique therapeutic experience for her clients.

Equine-assisted psychotherapy, the main program offered at THS, encompasses a range of treatments that involve licensed mental health professionals and local clinicians that oversee activities with horses to promote physical and mental health.

“Equine-assisted psychotherapy involves no riding at all. The horses are in sanctuary. It's not that we can't ride them, it's that we don't even need to ride them. What we're doing with our therapist is really playing into two key elements of all horses, but particularly racehorses, which is that first and foremost, horses are the largest domesticated prey animals in our society and they're always going to be wired that way. They're always assessing the humans around them in terms of 'are you friend or foe'?” said Weir. “The therapy that happens here, so much of it really comes right to that one thing, which is how are those people in the paddock feeling? And the horses are the best mirror of that.”

A typical equine-assisted psychotherapy session takes place out in the paddock with the horses, who are completely free to wander about, with a therapist and equine specialist overseeing and working with the client. This not only brings the client out of their comfort zone, though still in a controlled environment, but also provides a unique opportunity for the client to project and explain their feelings while working through a variety of tasks that develop a foundation for coping and problem-solving in everyday life.

“It's really subtle what happens here, but it's also extremely powerful because it's that replicability that the horses give you that you can take into the world. That's sort of the crux to it,” said Weir.

Tasks may include simply approaching the horse, putting a halter on or grooming them, which all set a client up to work through that scenario and talk through the process of doing it. It's the hands-on aspect, along with providing a unique outdoor setting, that makes equine-assisted psychotherapy completely distinctive when compared to traditional talk therapy.

For Kassondra and Randy Torchetti, who spent three years utilizing traditional talk therapy before making the transition to equine-assisted psychotherapy, the value of therapy sessions on the THS farm, in the company of the horses, is immeasurable.

“I struggle with generalized anxiety and the horses kind of bring that out in me, not when we're watching them from a distance, but having to be up close and trying to accomplish a task with them is anxiety-producing for me. So, it's helpful for me to work with them in that setting, where it's causing a lot of anxiety, because I have to face situations every day that I have work through with a lot of anxiety. It helps me transition that into real world circumstances,” explained Kassondra Torchetti.

“In equine therapy, you're involved in an activity so it's not so much pressure on forcing the conversation. It comes naturally in the activities that we participate in with the horses. At first, we don't necessarily know how [our therapist] is going to correlate the activity to our life, she just gives us the task, but then we complete the task and she loops it back into something that we worked on in counseling. We didn't have to have a super deep conversation but we're still getting hands-on experience and transferring it over. It's unique, it's honestly hard to put into words.”

Kassondra and Randy Torchetti attest that talk therapy saved their marriage, but equine-assisted psychotherapy has exponentially enhanced it.

“It's totally different because you don't have to be in a terrible spot to benefit from it. We have such a healthy relationship after doing the talk therapy, but we still find so much value in the equine therapy.”

Other programs at THS include HorsePlay, a unique and enriching experience that allows participants to simply spend quality time with the horses; TeamBuilding, which gives groups the opportunity to engage in a series of personalized exercises with the horses; and Military and Veteran Services through The Freedom Rein Project, offering groundbreaking equine therapy for members of the Military community.

With over 20 therapists and nearly 30 horses, including two miniature horses, THS is accredited by both the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Not only are the programs at THS unique, but so are the horses, as the majority of them have retired from a first career in racing.

“They are examples of racing at its best, in our mind, as they had owners who said 'this horse can't race anymore,' or many of them had a second career after racing and they said 'this does not need to be the final stop on their journey,'” said Weir. “Their owners said, 'This horse has done all he can with someone on his back,' and that is usually a vulnerable moment because once they can't be ridden, they become theoretically less useful, but that is only theoretical. We find them incredibly useful as therapy animals.

“The 29 horses here are each telling a story of what it looks like to have owners who really, really care and have given them a chance to be their best selves.”

Members of the THS herd, both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, serve as an outstanding example that defies the stigma that retired racehorses are 'hot-headed and difficult to work with.' In fact, THS believes that horses that previously raced are the best kind of therapy animals.

“Being around people is what racehorses are good at. They've been handled since the time they were born and we're continuing that trajectory through their later stage of life,” said Weir. “What you're seeing here is horses being horses. Putting horses in a herd environment where they're outside and sort of remembering their environment, you see they are innately peaceful animals and it is really fun to show that.

“We are an example of a healing and calming environment. When the horses feel healthy and safe, they're very calm. That's also what we're teaching people. If you can feel safe, you can be very calm.”

Weir has also witnessed a remarkable symbiotic relationship when it comes to veterans and the retired racehorses.

“Service members give their lives for their job, their whole heart, body and soul, and often their families and friends go on that journey with them and its high stakes. So do racehorses. When a [military member's] service is over, everything is different. They have to relearn how to be in society, and that's exactly what our horses had to do. They've had to learn how to be herd animals again, how to live outside, and what we're doing is giving them a second or third career to remember that they have just as much value, even though that one job is done.

Our retired racehorses can teach that to veterans who have had to relearn how to come back into society, how to connect with one another and their families, and to know that they too can be safe and peaceful. There is something very magical about these two populations helping each other.”

Now in its sixth year, the THS is calling 2024 a year of transformation and growth, having recently unveiled a new state-of-the-art indoor arena and group therapy space. The new building was constructed with grant funding awarded to THS through DASNY, New York state's capital project development authority, through the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program (NICIP).

“We aren't growing in terms of adding more programs. We love the programs that we have, but we're trying to water the garden. We have the seeds planted, with the horses and therapists, and we have a beautiful garden bed, which is this new arena. Now, we're just going to add the sunshine and the rain with more therapy programs, more TeamBuilding programs, more HorsePlay programs, and as a facility that is located in beautiful upstate New York, we can now do that without weather having an impact,” said Weir.

Sitting at a table beside the pond, overlooking the paddocks of horses contentedly grazing and dozing as clients make their way out to them for afternoon sessions, it's easy to understand why THS exists as a sanctuary for all who visit. And though the facility is based in Saratoga Springs, the gates of THS are open to any and all who seek a healing haven of their own.

“This farm is meant to be a place of health, healing and wellness for the horses and the humans who come here to visit,” said Weir. “Our goal as an organization with all these pieces in place is simply to serve more people in our community. More children, families, veterans, active military families, and anyone out there in the world that needs healing. We are here to help and that's what we really want the world to know as we are going into this next chapter for the organization.”

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