HEART HORSES
  • Home
  • About
  • Therapy
    • Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
    • Equine Assisted Learning
  • Riding
    • Therapeutic Riding
    • Lessons
  • Retreats
  • Contact
  • Forms
  • Volunteer

About Us

Heart Horses is a unique therapy program for youth, adults, families, and groups that incorporates horses for growth, learning, and healing. We offer unforgettable interactive experiences with our horses at the picturesque Sunset Ranch on the North Shore of Oahu. Our individualized therapy programs for psychotherapy, learning, team building, and therapeutic riding are experiential, meaning that our clients will engage in activities with the horses and experience a positive change that will last.

Why Horses?

Picture
Why are horses so effective for use in therapy? Being prey animals, their life depends on the awareness of their environment. This sensitivity to  non-verbal stimuli, or “horse sense”, becomes useful to us as therapists and specialists in that it gives us valuable information about the client that we might not have learned through verbal communication. We often say that horses mirror human emotion because the non-verbal behaviors of the horse truly reflect the energy, emotion, and intent of the person. This reflection gives clients insight into their own feelings and provides awareness of patterns and behaviors that may be hindering their ability to find effective solutions

Meet the Team


Owner


Picture
Sonja Bigalke-Bannan, MSW, LSW

Licensed Social Worker
EAGALA Certified Mental Health & Equine specialist,
PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor,
OK Corral Certified EAP/EAL



Staff


Picture
Lindsay Schuldt, Lead Horse Trainer
Picture
Patricia (Pati) Maxwell
EAGALA certified Equine specialist
Picture
Sarah Bonham, MSW, LSW

EAGALA certified Mental Health & Equine Specialist

Picture

Picture
Copyright © 2019
  • Home
  • About
  • Therapy
    • Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
    • Equine Assisted Learning
  • Riding
    • Therapeutic Riding
    • Lessons
  • Retreats
  • Contact
  • Forms
  • Volunteer