Tulsa Boys Home Takes Lead In Equine Therapy

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The Tulsa Boys Home has been developing its Equine Therapy program for the past three years. They've acquired horses, built a new arena, and now they're ready to show off a bit.  The boys home is poised to become a leader in the use of equine psycho-therapy.

Dalton and Devon learn the finer points of riding from Ty Holland, he's the Tulsa Boys Home Equine Program Manager.

Horses are masterful teachers of anger management.  They are masterful teachers of patience," said Gregg Conway.

Gregg Conway is the Tulsa Boys Home Director and says they've been able to put together a first class training facility in a relatively short period of time.  The new arena is almost complete and will permit the program to continue rain or shine.

Some say it works because horses and people have similar emotional wiring.

"That psychology of the horse and the human is so much alike and they can read each other," said Johnny Clark, and equine therapist.

Horses are too big to bully, success requires patience.  Conway believes the facility they've created could make the equine therapy program they've developed a model for the rest of the country

An open house is set for next month.  Stacy Westfall, a national reigning horse champion, will be there for an exhibition.  And, perhaps two young horsemen will have a chance to show what they've learned.

The boys say they didn't start the program on horseback, rather on the end of a shovel.  There's a lot of shoveling involved in learning more about horses and, in turn, more about yourself