Horse therapy arena riding into Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A project years in the making, aiming to help kids and adults with disabilities is becoming a reality.

Sunshine Stables, a non-profit horse therapeutic arena is set to open soon, but they still need your help.

The wind in this field is whistling up a dream. A dream that Anna Brown has had since she was 15.

Sunshine Stables will be a horse therapeutic arena designed to help those with disabilities.

“I love horses. I love how they’ve impacted my life and I want to share that with others. I want it to be a place they feel they belong or something they can feel they’re truly good at,” said Executive Director, Anna Brown.

Brown is a PATH certified horse therapeutic riding instructor. Her sidekick, Shug, fell in love with our cameras.

“Shug is just what you want in a therapy horse. He’s curious, but he’s not like too brave,” said Brown.

Volunteering with therapeutic horses, Brown says she found her calling. Brown has worked with one student for two years who has a fluency disorder, or stutters when speaking. But when he’s on the horse, Brown says that changes.

“I’ve seen places where he needed to redirect his speech, but when he’s on the back of a horse, doing an activity, he seems to be more fluent,” said Brown.

The rhythm of the horses steps, Brown says mimics the rhythm of speech and the rhythm of how we walk.

“From a therapeutic stand point, a horses gate is as close to a human walking gate as anything else,” said Brown.

In the coming months, these markers show where the arena is set to be built, but now they need your help. A go-fund me page is set up to raise money to help buy panels for the arena.

Brown says having this type of facility in the Golden Triangle will not only strengthen lives, but change them.

“We want people to leave here, being illuminated, rejuvenated and ready to go. Tackle whatever task is in front of them. A lot of those are tasks you and I won’t ever have to face. We want the clients to leave here feeling stronger and excited,” said Brown.

Sunshine Stables is raising funds to build the new arena.

If you’d like to donate visit www.gofundme.com/sunshinestables.