Horses have a demanding job at McKenna Farms Therapy Services. They help youth with special needs, ages 5 to 21, to achieve their full potential through participation in the hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, and equestrian team programs. McKenna Farms Therapy Services is a non-profit organization in Dallas, Georgia that serves 500 children per week with the help of 23 therapists, dozens of volunteers, and 16 horses. When the four-legged therapists encounter their own occupational challenges, Parelli 
Natural Horsemanship comes to the rescue. The Parelli Foundation’s $2,000 grant to the McKenna Farms Therapy Services facilitated the staff members’ natural horsemanship education. This March, Ashley Boswell, a 1* Licensed Parelli Professional from Raleigh, North Carolina, visited the farm and provided a 2-day workshop to the 10 staff members who most closely work with the horses. The training was a combination of classroom time, groundwork, and riding. The staff members learned the Seven Games and the four phases, analyzed horsenalities, and studied horse development. By the end of the 2 days they expanded their knowledge, improved their skills,
and gained a better understanding of how to better support their equine co-therapists on a daily basis.
With Parelli Natural Horsemanship and the Parelli Foundation, the horses at McKenna Farms are on their way to achieving their full potential while providing such an invaluable service.
Visit our Therapeutic Horsemanship Program section for more information or visit make a donation to support future scholarship students!