Tulsa, OK, 5/17/23:  Gatesway Foundation, a non-profit Oklahoma agency providing specialized services to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities (I/DD), announced that they are partnering with local non-profit rescue organization, Swingin’ D Horse Rescue in Coweta, to launch an Equine Therapy pilot program for Friends with the I/DD population.

Swingin’ D Horse Rescue, founded in 2017, is a local non-profit that has saved more than 40 horses from the slaughter pipeline.

 

“We believe all horses deserve to live and die with the dignity they’ve earned,” said Tami Marler, former news anchor and founder of the rescue named for her husband, Danny Elliott.

 

“In addition to benefitting the horses, volunteers tell us all the time, nursing abused and neglected horses back to health is therapeutic,” Marler said, “so we decided to introduce our horses to populations who would benefit from their healing energy.”

 

Marler said the partnership with the friends at Gatesway will help Swingin’ D develop therapeutic programs for veterans, dementia patients, and victims of bullying.

 

Gatesway is focused on individualized care and programs for Friends from all walks of life.  Equine Therapy is an important expansion of Gatesway programs, bringing additional methods of teaching, training, skill development, and varying therapeutic needs to each Friend.

 

With this pilot program, Gatesway Friends will interact with each horse on a varying level, including bathing, grooming, feeding, and working to build a bond.  Equine Therapy has many advantages to the public, including teaching healthy boundaries, trust, patience, and social skills.  Additionally, the development of fine motor skills, trauma therapy, problem solving skills, and teaching responsibility are important aspects that Friends will learn and grow as program participants.