Therapy horses bring Halloween fun to hundreds of kids

For over 20 years, Saranne Winfield devoted herself and her horses to providing riding fun and therapy to kids with special needs. Then, a few years ago, she decided to throw a Halloween bash and share the excitement with her students’ siblings and other area children!

- Bill Holton

The 10-year-old boy with autism bounced high in the saddle as a pair of volunteers led the gentle Tennessee Walker horse slowly around the Southern Starrs arena, a facility that specializes in equine therapy for specialneeds students in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Watching from the bleachers was the boy’s mom and little brother, who uttered sadly, “I wish I could ride too.”

The stable’s founder, Saranne Winfield, happened to overhear him. She knew it was hard for siblings to watch their brothers and sisters riding a horse. But this was a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and there were limited activities for kids to enjoy.

It isn’t fair to make them sit and watch, Saranne thought. And she wondered, Is there some way we could change our focus?

And an idea struck. Halloween was approaching and, like in 2020, the city was going to cancel festivities for 2021.

“Let’s have Halloween here,” Saranne told her volunteers. “Not just for our students, but for any child.”

Four-legged therapy

Saranne is a lifelong horsewoman. Back in the 1990s, she and her husband, Terry,owned 5 acres and two horses. Saranne also had a psychology degree and dreamed of doing something for special-needs kids.

Then one night, she and Terry caught a TV program about equine-assisted therapy. “Maybe this is exactly what you’ve been looking for,” Terry said.