“When we got in the car, he lit up! He figured out where we were going, and this is just the highlight of his whole week.” – Mother of one of the Children attending Hero Horse Therapeutic Riding Center.
One of the great things about making a $20 donation every month to grow out your beard, is that you sometimes get to learn about charities you didn’t even know existed here in DeSoto Parish. This months $1,000 donation went to Hero Horse in Frierson!
Sheriff Richardson and several deputies had the opportunity to spend some time down at Hero Horse on Thursday and got to experience one of the children enjoying a ride as well. Hero Horse, located in Frierson, is a therapeutic riding center and equine rescue serving the northwest Louisiana area. Their purpose is to inspire and improve the overall well-being of individuals of all ages who have any physical or mental disabilities. Those can range from (but not limited to) individuals with down syndrome, autism, suffering from depression or anxiety, among other things. The owner and founder of Hero Horse, Heather Zahn, said that you can tell exactly how the rider is feeling by how the horse is reacting as well. If the rider is non-verbal and is getting nervous, tired, or may need to go to the bathroom, they are able to read the behavior of the horse to better understand the needs of the rider. The movement of a horse also works your hips in very similar ways as natural walking, so if you have a child that is struggling in that area, this can help them work muscles and bones that they may otherwise have trouble exercising.
Hero Horse is not only a volunteer organization, but they are also a rescue. All of the animals, from horses to dogs, are rescues. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening spent getting to know all of the volunteers at Hero Horse, and what drives their passion to help others in our community. If you would like to contact Hero Horse to become a volunteer or learn how you can get a family member with special needs signed up for the experience, you can call Heather Zahn at 318.560.1858 or by email at herohorsetherapy@gmail.com. Or you can lookup herohorsetherapy on social media.
