Lisa Bowman and Will. courtesy photo
years at school, had fallen behind in her schoolwork, and had struggled emotionally. She got help from a tutor and a counselor, and Bryenton spent hours in the evenings to help her with schoolwork.
When a counselor suggested the family try equine assisted learning, Bryenton agreed, in part because she knew the girls had enjoyed riding horses.
The sessions, which do not involve riding, have paid off, the mother said, as Awna’ s behavior and schoolwork have improved markedly.
The success with Awna prompted the mother to also send Bristol to the farm to help the sisters overcome some of their sibling rivalry.
Bryenton said that seeing her daughters work together to gain the trust of large animals and the confidence to work together toward a goal was very satisfying.
Awna, who is in sixth grade, said each of the horses has a unique personality, and learning to interact with the horses has helped her deal with different personalities of people.
“ I feel like it helps me with my attitude and my emotions,” she said.
Awna also said that the sessions are fun and relaxing and give her a break from the human world. Bristol, a fourth-grader, agreed.“ I really like spending time with the horses and sharing my feelings,” she said. Bowman started the farm in 2013 with her husband, Roland, an engineer who owns a business in Martinsville. Their daughter, Abigail, 16, a Brown County High School student, helps out as barn manager. The farm has chickens, two cats, two dogs, and six horses, including a miniature and two ponies.
Bowman, who received training through the Nevada-based Equine Experiential Education Association, said horses have as many personalities as people, and she assigns horses depending on clients’ personalities and needs.
For example, 44-year-old pony Rosie, who is almost completely blind, requires clients to be very calm with her and usually is assigned to people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. On the other hand, lead horse Jake helps people step out of their comfort zones. If someone is nervous, for example, Jake, 23, may step even closer to make people even more nervous, Bowman said.
About half of the clients are kids, but Bowman also offers services for adults and groups, including businesses that want to foster more cooperation among employees.
A former nursing director, Bowman oversaw close to 400 people, which required a lot of team building. She said she enjoyed that aspect of her former job very much and appreciates that she can now use those experiences in her work with corporate clients.
Meanwhile, a lot of the younger clients are dealing with anger issues and are struggling to control their emotions, Bowman said. Hope for Hearts provides experiential training to
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May / June 2021 • Our Brown County 17