Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SARATOGA SPRINGS — When the farm gates swing open at a Saratoga Springs ranch, the first sound you expect to hear might be a horse's gentle neigh or the crunch of boots on dirt.
But, on most days, what people experience is something much deeper.
"It's hope," said Amie Jarvie.
Her 2-year-old grandson, T.J. Schweinler, has already undergone more brain surgeries than most adults will in a lifetime.
Doctors told his family they weren't sure if he'd ever walk or talk.
"The prognosis wasn't good for what was expected from T.J.," Jarvie said. "But ever since he got on a horse, it has been instrumental. We all get so emotional when we talk about him."
"From a grandma's perspective, it's built his confidence. He connects with the animal. He's connecting with the earth, and he feels safe," she said.
That's exactly what founder Tammy Clegg envisioned when she started Hoofbeats to Healing nearly three decades ago.
"It has to do with the horse's movement, the frequency of the horse, and how we implement it," Clegg explained.
Now, the program has become a place for children with autism, developmental delays and neurological conditions.
Families don't pay anything to participate. There's no advertising, no fundraising campaigns, just word of mouth and open hearts.
"We don't fundraise, and we don't advertise," Clegg said. "If you're doing your soul's purpose, if you're doing what's right, it will all come. We can help families with scholarships if we need to."
One parent, Kevin Lawrence, admits he was skeptical at first. But after enrolling his son Peter, who is autistic, he began to notice a difference.
"We've noticed just a difference in transitions from one location to another," he said. "The change has been dramatic."
Lawrence was so moved, he's now using his talent as an organist to host a benefit concert for the program later this month.
It will be held Sunday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m. in the Cottonwood Presbyterian Church in Murray.
Lawrence said the concert will feature Tabernacle organists Emeriti Clay Christiansen, Bonnie Goodliffe and more. Admission is free, but he's hoping for donations to go to the Hoofbeats to Healing program.
"We're inviting the public, and Clegg will be there as well to share the purpose of this organization," he said.
Clegg credits much of the program's success to the volunteers, especially the Latter-day Saints service missionaries and families who show up week after week.
"When they heal, who knows what's going to happen? The family is going to take better care of that child implementing the horse therapy," she said.
For a boy once told he'd never walk, and a father who just wanted his son to smile, it turns out healing doesn't always come in hospitals.
Sometimes, it comes with a saddle and a horse full of hope.
"I can't thank them enough for this program," Jarvie said. "I wish everyone going through the same things our family is going through can experience this."
