After taking the reins, a young boy rides on the back of Spirit, an 18-year-old Arabian gelding. He practices walking and trotting, even short spurts at a canter, while receiving encouragement from instructor Madelyn Winn. To the untrained eye, this may appear to be a simple riding lesson. While the boy is atop the horse, Winn is actively incorporating elements of physical, occupational and speech therapy into each moment. For the rider, it’s an exercise physically, mentally and emotionally. “The riders put their full trust into this thousand-pound animal,” Winn said. “It’s all about trust, and to me, gaining that trust is amazing.”
Winn is a life-long lover of horses, with over 18 years of experience. Her own journey with horses has included barrel racing and teaching. “I was lucky enough to grow up around horses my entire life,” Winn said. “I started taking professional lessons when I was three. Then when I came down here, it just really kickstarted that passion. I was able to be around the horses a lot more and had a lot more freedom with the horses.”
Throughout her life, Winn has also found great joy in working with children, particularly those with disabilities. “I have always been into helping people with disabilities,” Winn said. “I would give up my recess in elementary school to go have lunch with the special education kids.”
After volunteering with an equine therapy center in high school, Winn realized that she could combine these two passions to create her dream career. “I just had no idea that this existed, and horses helped me so much,” Winn said. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without horses. They helped me through a lot, and being able to share that, healing people through horses is amazing.”
Equine therapy has existed in many forms since the days of the ancient Greeks, with Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine,” extolling the virtues of horseback riding. But it become more popular in recent years. Under the broad umbrella of equine therapies, there are specialities that address physical, occupational and emotional needs.
Winn is on her way to becoming accredited through PATH Intl., the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International. The organization accredits centers and individuals, with the goal of providing education and access to professionals and their clients. Through PATH’s programming, Winn has had the opportunity to learn from other professionals across the state. Winn also has experience in ABA, applied behavior analysis, for children with autism, which she says assists with clients with behavioral and communication needs.
“If [a client] was working with a speech therapist, we would focus on what they’re working on: what, where, why, how, questions like ‘What color is Spirit?’ those kinds of skills that help with communication,” Winn said.
I wouldn’t be the person I am today without horses. They helped me through a lot, and being able to share that, healing people through horses is amazing.
– Madelyn Winn
Winn runs her own equine therapy facility out of her home in Fredericksburg and recently completed construction of a full arena. Her work has connected her with people of all ages and abilities. “My youngest student was three years old, and my oldest was 75,” Winn said. “They come and they all want different things. Some want the more intense riding instruction, but then I have a five-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, so a lot of his work is for physical therapy.”
Because horseback riding requires significant core and leg strength, Winn said she’s even been able to assist students who struggle with walking. “They’re able to work different muscles that they don’t even really know they’re working,” Winn said. “I watched a little girl walk for the first time. She was five, and she had been riding for a year. She gets off and just walks a couple steps, and her mom’s bursting into tears, crying.”
In the future, Winn hopes to work with more veteran clients, as she’s seen first-hand how it can benefit those who struggle with trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. “I have worked with a lot of veterans. They’re so fun because all they want to do is go fast and run,” Winn said. “A lot of healing comes with that.”
Winn has found equine therapy to be particularly impactful because of the emotional insight she feels horses have. “It’s magical, it’s spiritual,” Winn said. “If I was super nervous right now, Spirit would feel that nervousness. They’re almost like a mirror.”
In the same way every client has individualized needs, so do the horses. Though Winn has her own small herd of horses, she takes special care in selecting the horses that assist her clients. “It takes such a special horse to become a lesson horse. I’ll tell you I hit the lottery with Spirit,” Winn said. “A lot of horses get burnt out doing lessons really fast… I look for super calm, bomb-proof hoses, so nothing scares them.”
Spirit’s patience with clients is tremendous. As students ride him and work on skills like standing in the saddle, trotting, or even brushing him, he stays calm, with one eye always trained on Winn. Even still, he has a sense of humor, whether it’s untying ropes or trying to steal a kiss from visitors.
Like many of Winn’s horses, Spirit is a rescue. Winn’s operations serve both humans and horses alike, rehabilitating both in different ways. Winn said the success of her work is dependent on a full team, including herself, the horses, her clients and their support network. “Whatever the client is working on within PT or speech or any other occupational therapy, we’re working with that to help with a common goal,” Winn said. “It really takes a whole team to help a child with special needs, they need that whole team.”
This team approach extends into Winn’s own life, as she credits the support she’s received from her family, fiancé and clients for her ability to succeed. “I’m so blessed and grateful I’m able to have horses and be able to help people,” Winn said. “My fiancé has definitely helped push me a lot into building this business. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.”
While there are many practical skills Winn can help her clients improve, she said the most rewarding part is creating a sense of confidence and independence. “When you give them that sense of independence, the number of doors I’ve seen open after that is amazing,” Winn said. “The confidence goes up … once they’re riding by themselves, that’s huge and it’s showing the parents too that their child is capable of doing something like that on their own.”