Harmony Through Horses

11/04/2024

We are starting to feel like we have our feet under us here in Swannanoa and ready to give back a little with some free horse time for kids. It will be very casual, focused on hanging out and building connection with the horses. Haley and Tacoma are ready for scratches, art and games! There are four spots available each week and not required to attend all weeks, but spots do need to be reserved. Boys and girls 8-18 welcome. Call for more info and to reserve your spot! 828-337-8468 -Andrea

10/16/2024

Hi everyone, Andrea Burgess here checking in to say that we are all ok! I thought a post by Healing Connections Wellness showed up on this page a couple of weeks ago but see now that it did not, so thought I should check in as safe and sound! We have services back now and were really lucky to only lose the fencing in the extra lower pasture. Hauling water for two weeks was intense but overall we are quite lucky for being right next to the Swannanoa River. I will be resuming services to children and adolescents at some point soon, but right now we are just trying to stabilize and let the utility workers have the roads as much as possible. The barn is a nice oasis of calm in the midst of the chaos and I hope to invite folks out soon. Take care!! -Andrea

09/10/2024

Hey everyone, Andrea Burgess, LCSW, LCAS here. After a long and wonderful travel sabbatical I am excited to be back “boots on the ground” offering equine therapy for children and adolescents! Harmony Through Horses is in network with BCBS, Optum/UHC and Aetna (sorry no Medicaid plans or Cigna). We are currently sending referrals for adults to Terri Wilson at Healing Connections Wellness and our herd remain together on the same lovely property in Swannanoa. Please feel free to direct interested folks to the website https://www.harmonythroughhorses.com/ and to share my number 828-337-8468. Thanks so much!

Learn more about Harmony Through Horses Transformative Counseling equine assisted therapy services for groups, families and individuals.

08/20/2024

We are offering a small group groundwork Horsemanship course for girls this fall. Feel free to forward/re-post, thank you!

07/01/2024

Hey everyone, Andrea Burgess here. I am so happy and proud to witness Terri Wilson’s launch of Healing Connections Wellness! I have been privileged to walk with Terri since 2016 as her MSW Field Instructor and then her LCSW and LCAS Clinical Supervisor. As I got to know Terri it became clear to me what a gift I had given myself in bringing her and her horses, first Thumper then Rumi, into the herd. Supervising her was truly a gift exchange and I knew I wanted to make it easy for her to stick around after graduation. Through careful planning, lots of hard work and the stars aligning in just the right way Terri and I were able to create a fantastic win-win arrangement that allowed me to work-travel across the country for 14 months and her to take the reins of Harmony Through Horses while working towards full licensure. This meant leaving my soul horse constant companions Sam, Haley and Tacoma in her care while I travelled. The level of trust and respect required to leave my business, grown completely from scratch through a dream and a decade of dedication and hard work, and my fur babies, just won’t fit into words. I literally trust Terri with some of the most precious things in my world, and I am so happy that she is finally able to realize her dream of self sufficiency and able to create something that is just uniquely hers. Rest assured that it will be business as usual at the barn with the herd still together at the same lovely facility. Terri and I communicate almost daily and the only thing that’s really changed is that I’m working fully remote and enjoying the horses for fun, while Terri and the herd continue to offer their special healing to the world. Terri, I am so happy and proud to be part of your beautiful journey and so glad we get to keep walking it together!! Nice work!!

01/20/2024

A lot of folks have asked me how the horses manage in this cold weather. Here’s a great breakdown of how they manage in the winter months.

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

01/17/2024

Rumi loaded himself up and keeps looking at me like he’s ready to go. I think he wants me to take him somewhere warm. ☀️ 🏝️ 🏖️
Or maybe I’m projecting….. 🤔

12/28/2023

Evening on the farm. 🥰

12/21/2023

A wonderful article about one of the camps we collaborate with during the summer and lovely recognition for Thumper. ❤️

https://thelaurelofasheville.com/outdoors/outdoors-register-soon-for-accessible-summer-camp-experiences-at-camp-lakey-gap/?fbclid=IwAR32UuTAvtP17QsJmEn_LF26q9WHAR13MFseiTbBTGxMCMynfhK0hby8P9Q_aem_Aaj5yoFcsmXAteJXSS53jB1I_Lm7-W8PoCmw1sI1hNWWmKvhRtxxKUzFgCE1W9PdMVG9vf9ZlFpklx0gbU5gZcPs

Camp Lakey Gap is an adapted, overnight camp for autistic campers of all ages which takes place at Christmount Christian Assembly in Black Mountain. During their week-long camp experience, campers benefit from a high support ratio.

12/09/2023

Spread the love and joy of the season by showing your support for those on their recovery journey.

No one in recovery should feel alone—especially during the holiday season. Visit samhsa.gov/find-help for support and resources.

12/07/2023

We sincerely love the work we do and the 4 legged partners we work with, but this picture represents some of my favorite moments and something we are most proud of as a practice. Our round pen, pictured here, sits on state property and allows us to bring equine therapy every week to a state funded program to support women in recovery. The NC Department of Corrections allocates funds so horses can play a role in helping women on the path to recovery from trauma and addiction. This is something we are soooo very proud of and is our favorite part of the week.
(And see that razor wire in the background? We are THAT close to bringing horses to incarcerated women on the other side of the fence)🤞
Photo credit to our awesome equine specialist Susan Shaw-Penland