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First Posted: 10/3/2012

Did you know horses can be heroes?

A hero is someone who does brave or noble things to help others. A horse can be a hero to a person who is sad, lonely or scared when the animal helps him or her overcome those feelings. Horses can also help people who are sick or in pain to get better through physical therapy.

Some farms have horses that are used as therapists, and to some people, those horses are heroes.

Oak Leaf Therapeutic Horsemanship Center in Factoryville is one such place. Loretta Dragon, owner, founder and executive director of the farm, said she thinks of her 14 horses as her “partners in helping people who have difficulty, autism, CP (Cerebral Palsy) and strokes.”

Marley’s Mission in Lake Ariel (soon to move to Newton Township), is another place where horses are heroes. It is a non-profit organization with the motto “Horses Healing Children.” It gives free equine-based (having to do with horses) therapy to children and families who have experienced trauma (had really bad things happen to them).

Both of these places have many heroes besides the horses. These are the people who volunteer their time to help take care of the horses and get involved in the programs there. Read about two of those heroes below.