WAILUA — In 1803 the first horse made its appearance on Kauai and was presented as a gift to King Kamehameha I. Two hundred and twenty-one years later, horses on Kauai continue to be a big part of the community and have become exceptional therapy animals.
For the past 25 years, Healing Horses Kauai (HHK) in collaboration with PATH International has built a foundation of assisted equine activities to help empower its horses and individuals of all ages seeking mental, physical, and emotional assistance.
HHK kicked off its fall 2024 equestrian adventure camp, which runs from Oct. 7-11. The camp was created to empower the children during fall break from school by providing riding lessons, an arts center, and horsemanship training—all in recognition of World Mental Health Day, which is observed every Oct. 10.
“The horses that make their way to HHK also carry their trauma, said Karin Stoll, Social Worker and HHK founder, “Activities such as grooming, feeding, and leading a horse require concentration and the equine-assisted programs can help treat both humans and animals with behavioral problems such as; grief, depression, anxiety, and addiction among many other issues.”
Stoll explains that the horses provide emotional support, and says the first thing people want to do is put their hands on them because people can relate to what the horses have been through; the trauma.
Florida visitor Binsen Mejia and friends said, they immediately pulled over when they saw the sign and the word “healing” from their peripheral while driving down Kuhio Highway.
“We have followed our intuition since we landed and this is the most beautiful place in the world,” said Mejia.
“We must learn that healing happens in the most diverse and wonderful of ways and as a sound healer, equestrian therapy is so sacred. Horses are the epitome of freedom, they’re a symbol of freedom, and that is what we all want—Freedom. To be able to do this here on Kaua‘i with Karin is incredible, she’s a true healer, and her commitment and hard work are highly commendable.”
Aside from the kids camp, HHK has numerous future events scheduled such as their Halloween-themed event set for Sunday, Oct. 27.
“The horses will be painted in Halloween-themed costumes for our annual Halloween photoshoot/bake sale,” said Stoll. “We are also still actively searching for a family to adopt Lucky the horse,” she said, “His journey has been nothing short of incredible despite his trauma, we encourage everyone in the community to come and to attend and get to meet these incredible animals.”
Equestrians interested in lessons, volunteering, or adoptions can visit healinghorseskauai.org.
