Not long ago, four-year-old Joey couldn’t sit up by himself or hold onto a toy. He didn’t speak much either. His parents were told these skills, which most people take for granted, were out of reach for Jamie.
Now Jamie can sit up by himself and hold on to objects. He’s also started talking more. This profound difference in outcomes was facilitated by a pony and the therapists at Sundance Circle Hippotherapy.
Sundance Circle Hippotherapy
The “hippo” in hippotherapy comes from the Greek word for “horse.” Hippotherapy harnesses the movement of horses to stimulate the brain and body. It’s named for the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who wrote about equine (horse) therapy over 2,000 years ago.
Sundance Circle Hippotherapy offers occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy to clients 3 years old and up. Clients typically have diagnoses ranging from autism to cerebral palsy. Each week, Sundance provides therapy to over 60 clients and counting.
Patients visit Sundance Circle’s riding arena weekly for physical and occupational therapy sessions. A wheelchair ramp allows smaller clients and clients in wheelchairs to easily mount their horses. Families watch in a covered viewing area attached to the arena.
Photos Above: Brantley works with therapist Melanie Acheson, PTA, to develop dexterity. At the end of the session, they feed and interact with PeekABoo, a Welsh pony. Photos by Stuart Isett.
The arena looks like any other—except for alphabet letters and numbers displayed around the inside perimeter. Volunteers walk on either side of the horse, patient astride, in a slow clop around the arena while the therapist leads the session at the front of the group.
Therapy sessions target different areas based on each patient’s needs. Patients can ride forwards, backwards, or even on their stomachs, depending on the muscles groups that need to be strengthened. Patients sometimes ride with their arms spread out like wings or up in the air to build postural strength and endurance.
To build dexterity, therapists can have their patients assemble puzzle toys while riding or throw a basketball into a hoop at the corner of the riding arena.
Hippotherapy is based on combining the movement of horses with traditional therapy techniques. The American Hippotherapy Association explains that “Strength, Muscle Coordination and Sensory Processing used for walking, talking, and the use of fine motor skills . . . have all been shown to be positively impacted by equine movement.”
The effectiveness of hippotherapy appears to be related to how a horse’s pelvis mimics a human’s. Horseback riding can simulate walking, which helps clients who struggle with mobility.
Besides hippotherapy, clients also enjoy therapy in other parts of the facility, like the stables, where they can brush and pet one of eight horses.
A Family Affair
Most families with disabled children spend hours upon hours every year at doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Executive Director Demarie McCurdy understands this firsthand. Her twin son and daughter were born four months premature. Her son Colton’s recovery took twice as long as her daughter’s. Colton’s birth complications led to retinopathy, which damaged tissue in his eyes and resulted in total blindness. He was later diagnosed with autism.
Colton started hippotherapy at Sundance Circle a few years ago. Being outdoors and around animals was as fun as it was therapeutic.
“If you think about going in for physical therapy—going into a sterile building and just hanging out while your child gets their care and then you go home—versus coming here . . . ” Demarie explained humorously, “Well, not all the smells are great, but you get to smell the smells and pet the horses and get to be a part of it. It’s pretty neat.”
The 3-acre property at Sundance Circle Hippotherapy feels far removed from fluorescent-lit medical clinics. Sundance Circle is located in the historic farming region of Sumner, Washington. Besides the riding arena, there is a stable where the horses are fed, housed, and groomed. An outdoor paddock nearby is surrounded by a riding trail.
The difference in environment isn’t just aesthetic. The viewing box next to the arena sometimes hosts more than one family at a time. Parents and children alike get to talking, and friendships are formed. The casual atmosphere offers clients and their family members the opportunity to connect with people who have had similar life experiences.
Often siblings of clients come back for their own therapy or to volunteer.
“It’s like a community. You get to make connections with other families that you just don’t get to be around very much,” Demarie said. “They understand you in a way nobody else can. And I think that for anybody going through a traumatic experience, just having somebody who gets it is really important.”
Demarie met a fellow parent at Sundance Circle who is now a close friend. They’re able to talk about everyday subjects as well as niche topics, like individualized education plans and special education.
Sundance Circle also hosts seasonal social groups, which offer activities and opportunities for parents and children to socialize. Social groups are open to the public by registration.
Pairing and Caring for the Herd
Each client is paired with a horse based on their individual needs. The herd is currently 8 strong with a breeds ranging in size from an 18-year-old Welsh pony named PeekABoo to a 7-year-old Gypsy Vanner named Bon Jovi.
“We pair them based off of weight requirements, height, what they’re going to be doing in their therapy,” barn manager McKenna Blevins explained.
Adults are usually paired with larger horses like the Gypsy Vanners or Quarter Horses. The youngest children are usually paired with ponies like PeekABoo or Mystic, which makes therapy easier for patients and therapists alike.
Some patients will ride backwards or on their stomachs to strengthen different muscles or to adjust a patients’ focus. Some horses are better suited to position changes.
But while each horse has different strengths, there are no wild mustangs in the herd.
“All of our horses have fantastic personalities,” McKenna explained. “We choose our horses because of their temperaments and their personalities. They’re going to put up with so many wiggly people, so many kiddos.”
McKenna, who studied equine general studies with an emphasis in assisted therapies, maintains the facilities and manages the horses’ wellbeing. She coordinates with therapists and other staff members to make sure the program runs smoothly while the horses get the care they need and adequate recovery time between clients.
The herd keeps to a strict schedule. At 6:00 AM, volunteers take the horses from the barn to the paddocks for breakfast. Lunch is fed at 11:30 AM. The horses return to the stables around 4:30 PM for dinner.
It takes many volunteer hours to keep Sundance Circle going. Over 100 volunteers are currently assisting the organization.
Many volunteers are family members whose loved one benefitted from programs at Sundance Circle. Demarie is one of many clients who decided to volunteer after her son started therapy.
“I just wanted to give back and be around other families with kids with disabilities,” Demarie said.
Demarie’s background in fundraising and social work eventually led to her taking on a greater role in the organization as the executive director.
Sundance Circle also works with school programs that offer students with disabilities the opportunity to learn valuable job skills and explore what their post-high school lives might look like. Jobs vary from cleaning stalls and pulling weeds to spreading gravel.
“There’s something about being outside rather than in a classroom or in a therapy office that is just good for your soul,” McKenna said.
Demarie sees the value of these programs in her own son’s life.
“[Colton is] going to be transitioning to high school next year. They’re really gearing up for what life looks like outside of school, because you don’t have that daily routine,” she said. “You don’t have a purpose necessarily. So [we’re] trying to figure out what he’s interested in, where he’d like to work.”
For Demarie and parents like her, programs like this offer purpose and meaning.
“It’s having a purpose, having something to go to so you’re not stuck at home all day, but also being productive and contributing to the community,” Demarie said. “[It’s] having that social aspect where you’re interacting with other people. And the more exposure the community has to people with disabilities, the better.”
Happy Trails
Previous barn manager Heather Symonds noticed that after many seasons of use, the gravel trails around the paddocks had worn down to dirt and needed an upgrade.
The facility posted a request for gravel on their social media, and Washington Rock answered the call thanks to a hauler and friend of Washington Rock who volunteers at Sundance Circle.
Washington Rock shipped 60 tons of 5/8” Minus to Sundance Circle, and Heather hauled it by tractor to the trails.
Occupational therapist Kim Hulser sees a real difference.
“When we’re out here walking, we are always looking up at our kids and not down,” Kim explained. Before the new gravel was installed, a pothole could cause the horse, volunteers, or therapist to stumble. The new gravel provides a smooth and sturdy pathway, allowing Kim and her assistants to focus on the client rather than on the ground.
“I really appreciate [the new gravel]—for us and the horses,” Kim said.
The outdoor occupational therapy area also received new gravel, making it a clean and open space.
Paying It Forward
Donations fund all aspects of Sundance Circle Hippotherapy, including scholarships. While insurance covers most therapy sessions, which are led by professional physical, occupational, and speech therapists, scholarships are available to clients who don’t have insurance or can’t afford fees.
Donations also pay for property rental fees, building maintenance, and everything needed to care for the horses.
Horses, as many horse lovers know, are an enormous expense. All but one horse in the herd is on a care lease, meaning that owners loan their horses to Sundance Circle in exchange for their care. Expenses for the herd include food, gear, veterinary care, farriers to re-shoe the horses, and more.
Sundance Circle Hippotherapy plans to move to a slightly larger facility on the opposite side of the road in a year and a half. The move would allow them to increase their herd from 8 horses to 15 horses and add a second arena. Staff will also have closer access to a pasture where the horses graze in the summertime.
The organization welcomes new volunteers, sponsorships, and donations to continue the important work they do.
Special thanks to Clinical Director Courtney Coubertier for reviewing our article and providing essential information for the article.
Sundance Circle Hippotherapy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Find out more by visiting their website. Organizations are encouraged to sponsor and donate to the annual auction in September.
Washington Rock Quarries is a family-owned business that produces rock, sand, and soil products at Kapowsin Quarry and King Creek Pit in Orting, Washington. We look for opportunities to give back to the community through our Giving Back Program.
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