When Samantha Henriques became executive director of Healing Horses Kauai (HHK) in 2019, she knew she wanted to expand the program to more adults living with disabilities.
In the eleven years since its 2008 inception, the organization had grown from a private therapy practice where the horses were trailered to various pastures around the island to a robust ADA-accessible community riding facility. Now located on over 15 acres leased from singer and actress Bette Midler, HHK has 10 employees and over 40 volunteers and is the only organization on the island that provides assisted mounting for equine activities.
“Our program was initially focused on school-aged kids with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. I wanted to increase the scope of disability we could serve to include people who use wheelchairs,” says Henriques, who started as an HHK volunteer when her son, who has autism, was in preschool.
In 2021, HHK received a $25,000 Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grant to assist in purchasing two large dual-trained horses. The horses are used to pull both two-wheel carts and four-wheel carriages as part of HHK’s accessible carriage driving program.
Carriage driving can be more accessible to individuals with a higher level of disability or who may not want to or are not able to mount a horse. Through carriage driving, riders can increase core strength and improve balance and motor coordination. It also encourages self-confidence and provides a venue to build relationships with instructors, volunteers and the horse.