The Horses
of DoubleHP:
They can
show you how to develop or improve your skills in business communications,
teamwork, and leadership.
They can
help you figure things out about yourself, relationships, and life.
And of
course, they can teach you about all things horsey, including how to ride.
They are the
Horses of DoubleHP; and they are available for business/group workshops, counseling
and psychotherapy sessions, and natural horsemanship programs.
The Horses
of DoubleHP are special horses; they were rescued by Volunteers of Horse Help
Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP), a 501c3 nonprofit organization with headquarters
near Crooks, SD (25337 470th Avenue), just 20 minutes from Sioux
Falls. DoubleHP Volunteers have helped to rescue, rehab and rehome hundreds of
horses during the last 14 years; and 14 of these horses have been promised a
forever home at DoubleHP’s sanctuary and learning center near Crooks. These are
the Horses of DoubleHP. Most of them were rescued from severe starvation when
they were very young, some only a few months old, in cases where law
enforcement was involved. Many of these horses saw friends and family members freeze
and starve to death before help arrived. But these horses, the Horses of
DoubleHP, are survivors. They have an amazing ability to forgive; and they can
teach us a lot about life, if we let them.
Equine-assisted
learning workshops for businesses and organizations are designed according to
group size, schedule, and goals. For equine-assisted counseling and
psychotherapy sessions, the Horses of DoubleHP and their Manager, Darci
Hortness, team up with Carissa Palmberg, MS, LPC, LAC, of Carissa Palmberg
Counseling. Both Hortness (Equine Specialist) and Palmberg (Mental Health
Professional) are certified through EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
Association). In these sessions, participants interact with the horses in
on-the-ground activities; there is no riding.
But of
course there IS riding going on at DoubleHP -- in their horsemanship program,
which is strongly influenced by Parelli Natural Horsemanship and includes a
mixture of riding and non-riding activities. “Everything we do before we get on
the horse relates to what we do when we ride,” explains Hortness. “If you can develop
good rhythm and harmony with horses in non-riding activities, you will have a
better chance of success in the saddle,” says Hortness. But people don’t have
to ride if they don’t want to; they can still enjoy a horse relationship and
fun physical exercise in non-riding horse activities. DoubleHP’s horsemanship
participants fall into three main categories: individuals or families who are thinking about
becoming new horse owners, current horse owners who are having some issues or
just want to learn more, and former horse owners who are currently without a
horse for whatever reason.
Hortness is
often asked about the cost of horse ownership. “It’s expensive; you need to
plan on thousands of dollars each year to properly care for a horse,” she says.
“At DoubleHP, you can kind of share that expense, you can help to sponsor a
rescued horse, learn how to care for horses, learn how to be safe, happy and
successful with horses, and just try it out before you actually go out and buy
a horse, protecting yourself from a lot of unnecessary stress and mistakes,”
says Hortness.
DoubleHP was
awarded sanctuary status from Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) in
2012, and is South Dakota’s first and only GFAS sanctuary. DoubleHP is also a
proud new member of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and a ribbon
cutting is scheduled at DoubleHP for Tuesday June 30 at 4:30 p.m. The Horses of
DoubleHP extend an invitation to everyone to attend. They will be offering free
horsemanship sessions and business workshops that day, by advance appointment.
“No previous horse experience is required. The Horses will show you everything
you need to know. About Life.” If you would like to get on the schedule for
June 30 or to start any DoubleHP program, please call Darci at 359-0961. For
more information about DoubleHP’s programs, visit their website www.newhopehorses.org or www.facebook.com/newhopehorses.
