A horse is a horse, of course–except when it’s a therapist. And at the Ride for Pride stables in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the horses are the major players in a counseling regimen that has helped scores of serious juvenile offenders and their families get back on track. “The horses are our co-therapists,” Ride for Pride consultant Doug Mann told Family Therapy Networker (March/April 1999). The specially trained horses can’t be bullied by kids who often use violence to communicate, explains Mann, but they’re patient and empathetic–just like a good therapist.
