When Carl and Shirley Hanson were introduced to equine therapy in 1986, the couple didn’t even own a horse. Their youngest son, Jon, had been diagnosed with autism and need and outlet for socialization.
“We had a friend who had a horse who said, ‘Let me take (Jon) home a couple of times a week and we’ll see what we can do,’ ” Shirley recalls.
The results they saw in Jon were inspiring. The couple traveled from their home in Douglas County to Michigan to visit an equine therapy site there. Then they volunteered at a center specializing in it in Colorado Springs.
Eventually they let Jon pick out their first horse, an appaloosa named Mesa, and by spring of 1987 they had seven clients they were helping to connect with the many benefits of horse therapy through a Christian-centered charity they named, .
“There was a big, big need,” Shirley said. “And it was exciting. People wanted something like this for their kiddos.”Flash forward 29 years and the Hansons’ charitable effort has grown tremendously. Praying Hands occupies 40 acres south of Parker with a second campus set to expand in 2017, Shirley said. The main ranch has two outdoor riding areas, two heated indoor arenas, stables, sensory gardens and many other amenities. It regularly hosts 80 or more children and adults with special needs each week, including growing for veterans and at-risk youth.
died in August at age 50, but the charity he helped found is carrying on and helping more people overcome their physical and emotional limitations every year, according to his mom.
“Itap just a mission of our heart. After we saw what it did for our son, we wanted people to have that same joy,” Shirley said. “Whatever your weakness is, let us help you. We can make you stronger.”
Praying Hands provides a variety of services and therapies to clients, who are required to pay for a portion of the services they receive. The charity does have available, Shirley said.
Beyond therapeutic riding, the charity also offers hippotherapy, or “treatment with the help of a horse.” Physical, occupational and speech therapist can help improve clients’ lives by working with the animals, according to Praying Hands, and benefits can be wide-ranging. For instance, a horse’s rhythmic motion can lead a rider to adjust their posture in ways that improves their speech.
Last week, Praying Hands welcomed 5-year-old Blake Matthews and his mom, Brandy, for a regular therapy session. Blake had a brain tumor removed in 2015 and later underwent radiation and chemotherapy. Brandy said that a therapist a Children’s Hospital Colorado suggested hippotherapy. The Thornton residents looked all over for openings before finding Praying Hands in the spring.
“Shirley called me directly and said, ‘We are going to make this work for you,’ ” Brandy said, noting that the scholarship program helps pay for their visits.
Blake, seated atop his beloved Morgan horse “Princess” Piper, worked with Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship-certified instructor Brooks Eddy on a variety of skills. With a horse leader in front of him and two people walking alongside, Blake blew bubbles while in the saddle to help improve his balance and core strength. He also rode to different points around the arena and collected rubber ducks with a serving spoon, working on his hand-eye coordination and ability to stretch.
“There’s an emotional recovery as well,” his mom said. “There’s the self-value and worth, and confidence and a humongous amount of pride and courage.”
For Blake of course, the payoff is getting to spend time with “his horse,” Piper who he calls “our friend.”
Eddy became a certified therapist at Praying Hands after coming to the ranch as a volunteer through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints more than seven years ago. She said the work that goes on there can be transformative.
“Over the years, I’ve seen some amazing stuff,” she said. “Little kids who doctors say will never talk again talk to horses.”
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