After several years participating in the Stable Moments national program serving foster and adopted youth, ATS is launching its own initiative, Bridging Hearts & Horses, to serve a broader group of participants affected by complex childhood trauma.
“Healing happens in relationships, and horses can be powerful partners in that process,” said Angela Stan, executive director of Autumn Trails Stable.
As the healing work at ATS deepened, however, staff began to notice a gap.
“We consistently encountered youth with complex childhood trauma whose needs were significant but who did not meet the program’s eligibility criteria,” Stan said. “Turning youth away based on classification rather than on level of need no longer aligned with our values or our commitment to trauma-informed care.”
With Bridging Hearts & Horses, Stan hopes to close that gap.
Any child between the ages of 5 and 18 who has experienced complex childhood trauma is eligible to participate at ATS through Bridging Hearts & Horses. Participants are no longer required to be in foster care or adopted.
Foster and adopted youth remain welcome, Stan said, but the new structure allows the organization to serve children based on trauma complexity, readiness and relational fit.
ATS programming maintains a rolling enrollment, allowing families to register throughout the year and begin participation as soon as space allows.
Each week, participants work on activities that build life skills around the goals set for them in their Progress Plans. These include horse activities and non-horse activities. They also end the hour with a transition activity to help them transition back home.
The heart of the program remains relationship-based equine mentorship, but the staff have made several adjustments.
“Curriculum for mentors has been simplified,” Stan said. “Data collection has been expanded and streamlined to better monitor outcomes and ensure quality of services.”
Mentors will receive continued education and additional activity resources as part of the transition.
ATS also is introducing themed weeks each month, during which participants will engage in activities designed to build emotional regulation, confidence and healthy attachment.
But operating an equine-based mentorship program comes at a cost. Stan said the organization must raise funds for each participant session to cover horse care and program expenses.
“Each time we have a participant on-site, we must raise at least an additional $150,” Stan said. “Horses are not cheap, but they certainly are magical.”
ATS will host its ninth annual pancake breakfast fundraiser on March 14. Proceeds support program operations and help offset participant costs.
“We are looking for sponsors for the breakfast and would love to see the community come out to support and learn more about us,” Stan said.
As warmer weather approaches, the organization also plans to host agency breakfasts at the barn for youth-serving organizations in and around Clark County, as well as community barn days for families interested in learning more about the program.
The fee per child is $200 per month; however, many participants receive funding via OhioRISE, a Medicaid program that supports youth with complex behavioral health needs. OhioRISE helps eligible participants secure funding for program fees. When outside funding is unavailable, Bridging Hearts & Horses offers a sliding fee scale and ATS does not turn participants away.
“Bridging Hearts & Horses reflects our commitment to thoughtful, ethical, relationship-based healing for both youth and horses,” Stan said.
Autumn Trails Equine-Assisted Services Center is located at 2000 Folk Ream Road in Springfield. Mentors and volunteers are always needed and welcome. For more information visit the ATS Facebook page or visit autumntrailsstable.org/volunteer-opportunities.
Parents and guardians can register participants at www.autumntrailsstable.org/bhhmentorship. Questions about programming may be directed to program director Angel Fogle at afogle@autumntrailsstable.org. General inquiries can be sent to executive director Angela Stan at astan@autumntrailsstable.org.
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