How do we tie our shoes? Hold a pencil? Unlock and open a door?  These are all processes which many of us take for granted.  But for some, these tasks are challenging tests of coordination and dexterity. For those with physical, cognitive, or neuromotor difficulties, occupational therapy is a game changer.  High Horses, in Sharon, Vermont, elevates their clients to horseback, connecting the rhythm of a horse’s gait and movement to therapeutic sessions that increase the rider’s sense of freedom through flexibility, balance, and muscle strength training.

In this studio, students will partner with horses to develop therapeutic tools for their patients on horseback. Students will investigate the challenges and opportunities of equine-assisted therapy through interaction with therapists, clients, and the horses. By examining their own lives, students will identify key moments that can be translated to engage the dexterity, coordination, and confidence of the riders. Through abstracting these tasks, students will build these processes into dynamic and interactive objects that they will construct and install on a horse trail on the High Horses property.