south santa clara valley community organization
The World of
DreamPower
Horsemanship
Written By Robin Shepherd
DreamPower offers:
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Equine-facilitated psychotherapy
Therapeutic horsemanship lessons
Horses for Warriors
(veterans’ programs)
Equine Journey Wilderness Group
(horse camping)
Ponies and Preschoolers
Horses and Hearts
(couples workshop)
Horse Power: Living Strong with MS
Therapist/Instructor Training Program
…and more.
M
artha McNiel loved horses even as a child. Her father
had no problem with her taking horseback riding
lessons, attending horse camp and going for trail rides.
Buying a horse, however, was out of the question. Like the old
saying goes, the best things in life are worth waiting for.
And so it was that when McNiel turned 40, she got her first
horse.
“At the time, I was well along in my career as a psychotherapist
employed by the City and County of San Francisco to work with
youth in the foster care system.
“I kept my horse at a ranch in Marin County because it was
close to the office, and I found myself looking forward eagerly to
riding my horse after work.”
McNiel began to recognize the calming and peaceful effect
horses had on her and others at the horse ranch.
“I kept thinking how good it would be to bring the foster kids
to the ranch to spend time with horses as part of their therapy.”
McNiel was in the midst of pursuing a PhD, and she decided to
focus her doctoral dissertation on equine-assisted therapy, which
was somewhat uncharted territory at the time.
“Back in the mid 1990s, the field was still new and my fello