Hearts Therapeutic

Guys and gals got out their cowboy hats and boots for the annual Barn Dance fundraising at the Carriage and Western Art Museum. This was all for the best cause – Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center (HTEC). Guests could mingle with a margarita, peruse the silent auction and enjoy a good ol’ fashioned Santa Maria BBQ. Live auction! Goin’ once, goin’ twice… SOLD! To the North Shore of Kauai or 52 bottles of wine or an Old Spanish Days VIP pass. “Caught Red Handed” kept us boot-scootin’ to their country western music.

The event co-chairs Paula Bottiani and Stephanie Petlow wanted everyone to know, “At Hearts we believe that all people must be given opportunities to reach their full potential, become as independent as possible and be supported by an informed, sensitive, and respectful community. Using the power of the horse, Hearts inspires, strengthens, and motivates people of all ages and abilities in Santa Barbara County.”

Executive director Pamme Mickelson told a heart-tugging story. She went to the doctor and when he learned she was from Hearts, he told her about his six-year-old autistic son who couldn’t speak. He spoke his first words from the back of a horse at Hearts. HTEC is recognized by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship In-ternational (PATH) as a “premier center” – the highest possible level of accreditation, demonstrating a superior level of adherence to national industry standards.

One of Hearts’ programs is the Equine Services for Heroes. It’s a weekly program at no cost to veterans and has proven to help with PTSD. For more info call 805.364.6238. For movement-impaired disabilities, horseback riding mimics the human motion of walking in a way not replicated by any equipment. This improves balance, strength and flexibility and much more. Besides, it’s fun!

Hearts was established in 1985 with two lesson horses and a handful of students. Now they have 18 horses and serve 100 folks a week. Hearts in its lifetime has provided 85,000 lessons to over 5,000 members of our community. There are about 250 clients a year – all ages from four to over 90 with a myriad of maladies from Down syndrome to multiple sclerosis.

Hearts gets less than one third of their income from lesson fees; the rest is raised through private donations and grants. There is a staff of six full-time and ten part-time staff members. They can always use more volunteers as well. 

Call 805.964.1519. Hearts is located at 4420 Calle Real on the way up the hill to the dump. They will be moving further up the hill in the new year and will need additional funds and help.