About Halter, Inc.

Dog therapy is common in hospitals and hospice care facilities, but the nonprofit organization Halter, Inc. fills its stables with miniature horses trained in animal therapy. The gentle horses bond with children with special needs and at-risk teenagers, helping them build confidence and express themselves emotionally. The staff has designed riding lessons to teach horsemanship skills to children with special needs—however, all children are welcome to learn—and invites youngsters in third to eighth grade to join its Pony Express Club, a service program in which they assist with toddler horse rides and offsite events, such as petting zoos. They also host camps and celebrate children's birthdays filled with pony rides and games, but the horses have objected to any rounds of Pin the Tail on the Horse.