One came in screaming. Another arrived slumped in a wheelchair.
In two corners of Mexico – one, the high desert of San Miguel de Allende, the other, a coastal coconut grove near Zihuatanejo – children are quietly experiencing something extraordinary.
Through the gentle rhythm of a horse’s movement and the dedication of two passionate women, lives are being transformed in ways their families never thought possible.
In San Miguel, a young boy with autism arrived at Equinoterapia SMA in a state of complete distress.
The moment he saw the horse, he panicked, screaming, resisting, unable to be calmed.
“We didn’t know if we were doing the right thing,” says founder Jean Gerber.
By his sixth session, something miraculous happened: He was smiling. Laughing. Riding. “I couldn’t believe it was the same child.”
That same boy now gets himself dressed for therapy – something he had never done before. And his excitement and confidence grow with every session.
Hundreds of miles away, at The Seahorse Sanctuary & Equine Therapy Center in the lush, coastal hills of Guerrero, another transformation was unfolding.
A 10-year-old girl who had been confined to a wheelchair with cerebral palsy turned up at the Sanctuary – not for a session, but to show everyone something.
Founder Elisabeth Ashe smiles proudly, “She is starting to walk. And yesterday she came and showed off for me. It was a very special moment.”
From relying on people pushing her to taking first steps and sitting tall on a horse, this young girl’s journey speaks volumes about strength, hope, and the quiet power of being seen.
These aren’t isolated miracles.
Across Mexico, equine therapy is emerging as one of the most profound and accessible ways to help children and adults overcome emotional, cognitive, and physical challenges – especially in communities where support can be hard to find.
What Is Equine Therapy?
Equine therapy has roots in Ancient Greece, where Hippocrates wrote about horse-assisted therapy as a form of treatment.
There is plenty of scientific evidence and research to back up the benefits of equine therapy, but there’s also more than a little mysterious horse magic.
Known as hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, or equine-assisted therapy (depending on the approach), equine therapy engages horses as a key part of physical, occupational, and emotional therapy for people with a range of diagnoses.
Studies show that the rhythmic motion of the horse’s gait can stimulate neuromuscular pathways, leading to better balance and improved motor skills.
As Jean from Equinoterapia SMA puts it, “It’s really the movement of the horse that does the magic for these kids because the movement is like rocking a baby. It affects their hormones, their minds, and their brains. It’s that combination of the horse and the therapy when they’re in that state of mind that makes magic.”
Why Horses Are So Uniquely Suited to Healing
Horses are large, powerful animals – but also deeply sensitive to human emotion.
They read body language and energy with surprising nuance, often mirroring a person’s mood in subtle, meaningful ways.
Research shows they can observe and discriminate several emotions in human beings, and that they react and adapt their behavior correspondingly.
This makes equine therapy especially effective for emotional and behavioral development.
Children begin to understand how their internal state influences the horse, and emotional regulation becomes something kids feel, not just something they’re told.
Elisabeth has seen horse empathy in action.
“When you see the way they are, when a child comes in and he or she’s very, very scared of horses, the horses literally will just drop their heads and look the child in the eye. There’s this communication that happens between them and that, that trust and that bond, that’s the therapy.”
What Makes a Good Therapy Horse?
Therapy horses aren’t defined by breed or background – even rescues can thrive in this role.
What really matters is temperament.
The best therapy horses are calm, steady, and deeply attuned to people.
“The horse has to just have a gentle nature,” says Jean. “Not too big, not too tall, because we have to support the children when they’re on the horse. But the horse has to be good-natured and calm.”
Once chosen, horses are trained to stay relaxed around mobility aids, respond to shifting weight or sudden movements…or even flash photography on a fashion runway.
Mexican Designer Neithan Herbert selected Equinoterapia SMA to be a beneficiary from his Spring/Summer 2025 showcase, which included a starring role for therapy horse Silver.
“Silver was amazing,” Jean says. “Every fashion magazine was like, click, click, click.” He even made the pages of Hola and The Hollywood Reporter.
You can also check out his scene-stealing appearance on Neithan’s Instagram.
Of course, this work comes with heartbreak, too.
The team at The Seahorse Sanctuary & Equine Therapy Center recently experienced one of the hardest parts: Losing a beloved horse.
“Chocolate was a rescue,” Elisabeth says. “We just got him a year and a half ago, and he was not in good shape when we got him. I only took him because I just wanted him to have a good home, and he turned out to be the best therapy horse.”
Sadly, Chocolate suddenly passed away from colic. “Heartbreak. Yeah, I cried buckets.”
This work asks a lot.
It takes strength, patience, and a deep sense of purpose.
And the women behind these programs know that better than anyone.
Two Women, One Mission
It’s a remarkable coincidence: Two Canadian women, living hundreds of miles apart in Mexico, each running equine therapy centers with the same mission: To offer healing, connection, and care to those who need it most.
Both discovered the impact of equine therapy while spending time on horse farms back in Canada, and both were moved to bring that experience to Mexico.
Elisabeth Ashe spent 31 years living part-time in Mexico before making it her full-time home three years ago.
”It’s a passion of mine,” she says. “They [the neighbors] know that I’m a little horse crazy Canadian. They can’t talk to me without five minutes into the conversation talking about my horses.”
The Seahorse Sanctuary and Equine Therapy provides therapy for a wide range of disabilities. “We have children with cerebral palsy, children who are perfectly physically healthy, but they don’t talk.”
They also have children who have emotional issues due to family circumstances, where they’ve been abandoned or had to leave their family because of violence.
Jean Gerber has been involved with horses for over 35 years.
She was inspired to combine her love for horses with therapy after hearing about the profound changes it made for someone with serious neurological issues.
Equinoterapia SMA was started in 2023 and now has 31 children coming for therapy with very well-loved horses Napoleon, Silver, and Nena.
“We’re helping children with neurological disorders and physical disorders, children with autism, with Down syndrome, with cerebral palsy deficit disorders, those sorts of disabilities,” says Jean.
Healing beyond the Saddle
“Gracias por tu dedicación y paciencia, gracias por todo lo que has hecho con mi hija.” said one grateful dad. (Thank you for your dedication and patience, and thank you for everything you’ve done for my daughter.)
Little Angela, a bright four-year-old with autism, began equine therapy at the beginning of the year.
At first, she was overwhelmed by sensory input like wind and heat and was hesitant to engage.
Over time, at a pace suited to her, she had a major breakthrough.
Angela was comfortably seated on therapy horse Nena, alongside Equineterapia’s therapist Noor and with her proud father walking beside her.
She beamed with happiness and newfound confidence.
Angela is now riding for up to 45 minutes and is noticeably calmer and open at school – a powerful reflection of how far she’s come.
In San Miguel de Allende, Equinoterapia SMA partners up with other local organizations, providing care and therapy for children to help as many kids as possible.
It’s about creating access to healing for families who often have limited resources.
Many have passed through The Seahorse Sanctuary since it opened 3 years ago.
However, there are some who will always come, and as Elisabeth says, they will always be welcome.
“I’ve had some students from almost the beginning. They will probably forever be my students because this is the one thing that they have that they can look forward to.”
The sanctuary is helping one young man with cerebral palsy. “He makes the most beautiful spirit catchers. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to help build a business for him, and we got him a walker.”
The healing begins with horses, but also reaches beyond the corral and into communities.
Equine Therapy: Creating in Collaboration
In many parts of Mexico, access to affordable therapy for children with disabilities is limited.
Both of these programs provide more than equine therapy.
“Whenever we can, we get equipment for children, either donated or we buy it if we have extra money,” says Elisabeth.
That’s why community-led programs are so vital.
They fill critical gaps in care, offering real, tangible support where it’s needed most.
What makes these equine therapy organizations especially meaningful is how they’re being done.
These are grassroots projects built on respect, relationship, and cross-cultural collaboration.
The Espino family from Zihuatenejo has been particularly generous to The Sanctuary and Seahorse Equine Therapy. They’re a local family that owns a large coconut plantation and operates Museo del Coco (a museum, gift shop, and restaurant). They’ve given the sanctuary use of the land for free, for a ten-year term.
“They helped me to build the center,” recalls Elisabeth. “We had to build the corrals, we had to build a bodega. We had to build a storage unit. It was his workers who built the fence.”
The heart of the work is deeply rooted in local partnerships and cultural sensitivity.
The goal is to walk alongside families and co-create spaces where every child has a chance to thrive.
“I would like to teach others to do what we do so that it becomes a hundred percent Mexican-run organization. So our board of directors, for example, are all Mexican and they’re all leaders in the community,” says Elisabeth.
The Ranch where Equinoterapia SMA is based is managed by the Ortega family.
“Their son, Gabo Gabriel, is our caballerongo,” says Jean. “He takes care of the horses. They have one horse that’s been on the ranch, Napoleon, that we’re using.”
Galloping into the Future
Both run as nonprofits and rely on fundraising, donations, and community support to survive.
They charge a minimal fee per session, just enough to help support consistency and encourage regular attendance.
Elisabeth’s dream? “I would love to have a corporate sponsor who would just say, ‘Here, Elisabeth, here’s 10,000 a year.’ And then I could just concentrate on what I’m doing instead of concentrating on paying the bills.”
Elisabeth’s number one priority is to get another therapy horse as soon as possible.
Later, to purchase the land, and “I’d like to have more horses and more volunteers. If we could have two full teams working at the same time, we could help twice as many children.”
She also wants to rescue abused or neglected horses – to rehabilitate them, then either rehome or use them as therapy horses, if they have the right temperament.
In the future, Jean says she hopes Equinoterapia SMA will provide profit and nonprofit sessions.
“I want to have a full service where we’re helping vets, where we’re helping people with depression, where we’re helping adults, and everyone,” she says. “The profit end of it can help pay for those who cannot afford to do it.”
Right now, they’re focusing on smaller goals where they’re needed the most.
“We’re expanding a bit, too. We’re running four days a week and are going to soon be five days a week. And we’re making some improvements to make it a little easier for some of the kids who are in wheelchairs. You know, we want to raise money to build a ramp to help them to get down a little easier,” says Jean.
The path forward comes with challenges.
But for Jean and Elisbeth, it’s more than worth it.
Jean puts it simply, “I put myself on the volunteer schedule because I just love doing it.”
And for Elisabeth, “I feel like this is my calling, that this was what I was always meant to do.”
Their visions are clear: To grow these centers into sustainable, inclusive spaces that serve more families and horses while making sure the work stays accessible and community-driven.
How to Get Involved
Whether you’re looking to donate, volunteer, or simply follow along, everything you need is below.
You can support either (or both!) organizations through their websites or stay in the loop for updates and local fundraisers on Facebook.
The Seahorse Sanctuary & Equine Therapy Center
Website: The Seahorse Sanctuary & Equine Therapy Center
Follow on Facebook
(If you’re near Zihuatanejo or Ixtapa, don’t miss the Museo del Coco, run by the Espino family.)
Equinoterapia SMA
Website: Equinoterapia SMA
Follow on Facebook
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