'Live in the now': Island mini horse farm to offer kids camps, equine therapy

An Island woman is hoping her new miniature horse health and wellness centre in Bonshaw, P.E.I., will help clients who aren't comfortable around larger animals.

Ilsa Mutsaers of Steep Hill Stablesays her tiny horses are less-threatening than full-sized horses.

"They're super cute, but they have all the same benefits that all the large horses do," she said.

Mutsaers said their small size is much less intimidating for people who have never been around horses before.

Meet the mini therapy horses on P.E.I.

7 years ago

Duration 0:54

Meet the mini therapy horses on P.E.I.

"So they'll be an integral part of our program for people who are maybe a little bit afraid of horses but still want to do some of the equine assisted learning and not have that intimidation factor."

'Something a little bit out of the norm'

Mutsaers is certified in Equine Assisted Learning and Equine Assisted Personal Development.

"We like to offer something that maybe doesn't have that stigma attached to it, something a little bit out of the norm." she said.

"Something very different where people can come and just relax and kind of be one with nature and interact with the horses."

'Horses don't care'

Mutsaers believes that with other programs, it may be hard for some people to open up for fear of being judged.

Not so with horses.

"Horses don't care," she said.

"They don't care about who you are, where you've been, what's happened in your life."

Mutsaers adds that a horse's only concern is about what is going on right at the present moment.

'Live in the now'

"That's really important because it helps us to live in the now and deal with what we're going through right at this present time instead of thinking more about the past or think about what's going to happen in the future."

Mutsaers said horses are adept at helping people with PTSD because they really have a sense of what's going on inside the person versus what the person is actually portraying on the outside.

Even her own horses will turn away from her if she's too stressed.

"It immediately makes me stop in my tracks and think, 'Okay, what happened today that I need to go back and look at or maybe I need to deal with?' Or maybe I just need to take a deep breath."

Therapy, skill development, summer camps

"We're on the go all the time, kind of in a bit of a rat race and when you get instant feed back from a horse like that, it really makes you stop and take a look at what's important in life."

Mutsaers is building a new barn and arena where she'll eventually run her program to help people who need therapy and for those who are looking for skill development.

In the meantime, she's holding mini-horse summer camps for kids at a nearby farm.

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