Page 6 - MidWeek Central - January 18, 2023

6 JANUARY 18, 2023
Horses Help People At North Shore Business That Is Led By UH Alumna
Sonja Bigalke-Bannan poses with her son, Tristan, at Heart Horses on the North Shore. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I
A unique facility on Oʻa- hu’s North Shore offers therapeutic horseback and equine-assisted psychother- apy. A love for horses from a young age and a passion for human health inspired Sonja Bigalke-Bannan to create the business.
can help, she says.
“Horses are naturally hy-
limit their mobility, such as Parkinson’s disease and cere- bral palsy, or conditions such as schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder, or even au- tism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, can all benefit from equine therapy, Bigalke-Ban- nan says.
unteers help to care for the horses and upkeep the facil- ity. In addition, as an adjunct instructor in field studies, Bi- galke-Bannan supports future social workers at the Thomp- son School of Social Work & Public Health. Heart Horses also serves as a field place- ment site for students.
The University of Ha- waiʻi at Mānoa Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health alumna owns and runs North Shore-based Heart Horses. According to Bigalke-Bannan, survivors of traumatic experiences may live in a state of hyper- vigilance, constantly looking out for danger or threats in a way that’s harmful to their health. Learning to release themselves from that state is difficult and overwhelming, but equine-assisted therapy
pervigilant, and their senses are better than ours, but they can also go calm quickly, so they can teach humans how to get out of a hyperarousal state,” she states. “By de- veloping a connection with a horse, people can learn to ground themselves.”
In addition to referrals from psychotherapists and physicians, Heart Horses partners with community or- ganizations to assist clients. They include the Wounded Warrior Project which assists veterans; Pearl Haven, a resi- dential facility for adolescents who have survived sexual exploitation or trafficking; and Sprouts, which provides physical therapy and occupa- tional therapy for children.
The most rewarding aspect of the work for Bigalke-Ban- nan is providing a space for people that is calm and quiet, and separate from the rest of their hectic lives.
Bigalke-Bannan took over Heart Horses from a previous owner after earning a master’s in social work from UH Mā- noa in 2014. She received ad- ditional state licensure and is also a licensed clinical social worker.
lessons when she got a re- quest from a faculty member with Parkinson’s disease who wanted to learn to ride. Then, a student who was legally blind also asked to participate.
so inspiring to see what peo- ple can do if they are given a chance and the right support.”
“The farm is a very peace- ful space. It provides a won- derful backdrop for healing and personal growth,” she states.
Her fondness for horses began at age 6 when she took riding lessons with her Girl Scouts Brownie troop. Later in college, she taught con- ventional horseback riding
“Working with them was so liberating,” she states. “It was
Heart Horses has helped a variety of clients from ages 2 to 84 years old, with a wide range of health conditions. People with ailments that
The facility’s many vol-
For more information, visit hawaii.edu/news/2022/09/29/ horses-aid-in-human-health and hearthorses.com.
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