Buncombe County
Horse Sense helps youth reclaim their lives
is working with children in eight needed homes for the young said. “We work with mental and mental health programs,
By Catherine Hunter
North Carolina counties. horses that couldn’t be ridden, health disorders such as ADD, Horse Sense now has an Equine
Shannon Knapp and her hus- so Knapp decided to give the ADHA, autism, PTSD and Assisted Learning program for
They started out helping at band Richard opened Horse horses a job. trauma, addiction, depression, school children and for corporate
risk youth in Buncombe and Sense in 2003. She started out “A lot of the philosophy of anxiety and socio-economic team building. According to
Madison counties. Now Horse rescuing horses with Hope rehabbing horses is similar to problems.” Knapp and Practice Administra-
Sense on Meadows Town Road for Horses and found that she working with people,” Knapp In addition to the at risk youth tor Lisa Wheeler, horses are an
excellent way for people to learn
kinesthetically and spatially.
The horses help engage children
who don’t learn well sitting at
a desk.
Knapp said the horses are
also excellent for building cor-
porate skills such as leadership
and assertiveness or calmness
and patience. “Horses aren’t
judgmental,” Knapp said. “The
horses are always asking a person
about their leadership skills.”
All sessions are conducted
on the ground. Knapp said this
helps with safety and they don’t
have to include a riding lesson
along with the therapy. She said
it also puts the horse on equal
footing so the therapists can
read what is going on. “Having
the person on the ground gives
the horse a chance to have an
opinion,” she said.
According to Knapp, the ses-
sions include two licensed thera-
pists and two equine specialists
who interpret the horse’s body
language. This gives the thera-
pists more insight as to the issues
with which they are dealing.
“We use the EAGALA model of
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy,”
she said.
“What we do here is focused
around traditional mental health
and ethics codes of conduct
Horse Sense President and Equine Specialist Shannon Knapp (right) and Practice Administrator Lisa Wheeler visit
and practices,” Wheeler said.
with Susan Denero one of the center’s therapy horses from Texas. Photo by Catherine Hunter.
“This is incredibly effective for
Oppositional Differential Dis-
order which is the number one
diagnosis for kids going into the
Mother & Son
Juvenile Justice Center.”

Horse Sense currently has
three mares and 15 geldings in
their stable. They offer slid-
Bistro & Bakery
ing scale fees and scholarships
through the Mediation Center
of Buncombe County. For more
Gift
information call 828-683-7304
Baskets
Breakfast & Lunch
or visit their web site at www.
7:30 am–4:30 pm HorseSenseOtc.com.
Monday – Saturday
505•3510
motherandsonbistro.com
Advertise in
“Quality Comfort Food”
the
Weaverville
Tribune
Stone Ridge Business Park Merrimon Ave. 2 miles north of Beaver Lake
645-8911
24 THE TRIBUNE - Jan 15 - 21, 2009
www.weavervilletribune.com
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