$130,400 OTF Grant Supports Horses At Heart Programs

MPP Caroline Mulroney and MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy stopped by Waterstone Estate and Farms to formally congratulate a local non-profit group, Horses At Heart Therapeutic Equestrian Adventures, on the work being done as a result of receiving a $130,400 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The two-year long grant was awarded in mid-2022 and is helping the group expand hybrid and digital equine-assisted therapy programs.

Thanks to the funds received from OTF, Horses at Heart is able to focus on its goals of continuing to deliver programs for local residents by assisting it with staffing costs, as well as online program development, and purchasing online licenses and technical equipment too. The Resilient Communities Fund grant program was developed by OTF in 2020 to help non-profit organizations to rebuild and recover from the impact of the pandemic.

MPP Mulroney and MPP Gallagher Murphy were also treated to an example of one of its programs in action with highlights of Horses At Heart’s work with the P.E.A.K North’s work placement program at Huron Heights high school. The students will present an equine musical ride showcasing their horsemanship skills. There was also an opportunity to see work students have completed in My Day Maker, a daily journaling and mental wellness program with employment skill building and leadership training.

“The government’s investment of $130,400 in Horses for Heart through the Ontario Trillium Foundation has ensured this meaningful community service was able to recover and build its resiliency due to the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, MPP for Newmarket- Aurora. “Equine assisted therapeutic programs are a unique and highly effective approach to help individuals build trust and confidence, secure wellness and learn how to regulate their emotions.”