Mandy Whipple gives love to Star, who is overdue with a foal. Her horses range in age from 7 to 37 (not counting the baby when it’s born).

Trevor and Mandy Whipple (pictured with Queenie and Lexi) have opened Midway Equestrian at their rural Northboro, Iowa, farm.

The lack of support services for mental health nationwide is troubling. Millions of people suffer from mental health issues daily and finding ways to combat them is not always readily accessible, especially using outside-the-box methods. In rural southwestern Iowa, one woman is using her love of horses and certification in the EAGALA model to give back and help those in need of healing find hope.

EAGALA stands for Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. With 4,500 members in 50 nations, EAGALA Certified Professionals help people change their lives by practicing The EAGALA Model: The Global Standard for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Personal Development. EAGALA Certified Professionals complete a rigorous training program, commit to evidence-based client solutions, utilize an exclusive team approach and operate with a strong code of ethics. One of those certified professionals is Mandy Whipple of Northboro, Iowa. Along with her husband, Trevor, she runs Midway Equestrian, a farm focusing on counseling using horses of all ages, shapes, sizes, and personalities. After years of finding hope and sanctuary with horses in her own times of sorrow, Mandy decided to use that love and knowledge to give back to her community and provide strength using her four-legged friends.

Whether it’s individual or group counseling or corporate team building, Mandy and her horses, as well as mental health therapist Janell Moore, offer ways to cope with everyday life or the unexpected. The horses are not haltered nor ridden and are free to make their own decisions as they feed off the emotions of those working with them. With various activities such as observing communication in a herd, creating connection, starting and developing relationships, transitioning or moving toward the goals in your journey, to creating in proactive intention, they then will bring about something new. They do this in connection with the horse’s human-like emotions and responses to help the clients find ways of dealing with life’s ups and downs. The equine therapy activities assist clients of all ages in improving their self-esteem, building confidence, and creating communication skills to use in their relationships. The programs are unlimited in the way they can help. There is even a horse-powered reading program that helps teach youngsters ways to learn new words and to enhance reading skills and a Power Tools for Living course that helps young adults who will soon be leaving home learn how to live on their own.

Though talk therapy can be effective for some, using animals that can’t judge and talk back, yet are so human-like in reading body language and picking up on nonverbal communication, is also a proven success. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of equine therapy, showing that it lowers blood pressure and heart rate, alleviates stress, and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. And let’s face it, gazing on their beauty while staring into their soul-reading eyes is enough to relax us and put a smile on our faces. Working with horses helps you learn about methods to better your life and to practice those methods. Due to their sensitive nature they easily pick up on things and provide great feedback. Mandy’s horses are trustworthy and even used to kids. Though like humans, there are days a certain horse might not feel up to “going to work,” there are many ponies and horses available to provide comfort and Mandy and Janell work side-by-side to make sure the environment stays safe and productive for the horses and clients.

Mandy and Trevor’s endeavor is a new one and not one that can be found in many locations. Though there are like-facilities in the Omaha and Kansas City areas, there is no more perfect place for equestrian-based therapy facilities than rural America. Midway Equestrian is looking to provide services to all in southwestern Iowa, northwest Missouri, and southeast Nebraska (and parts outside and in between). The farm in which Midway Equestrian is located is easily accessible.  Located on a paved road east of the old “Midway” on Hwy. 59 between Tarkio and Shenandoah, the farm is fourth generational, dating back to Trevor’s great-grandparents, and used to be a dairy farm.  There is a warm and dry indoor arena to use when clients’ appointments happen to fall on one of the Midwest’s unpredictable weather days. And there are outdoor facilities to use when the weather cooperates. The supplies needed to make the sessions a success are provided (as well as the horses) so all one needs to bring is himself (or herself). Individual sessions run around 50 minutes to an hour, though times are flexible, and group sessions are usually 2 hours. Though providers can refer a client to them, Mandy also encourages individuals without a doctor or support system to give her a call. Midway Equestrian can bill insurance companies for the mental health services and the facility also provides a sliding scale for payments from those without insurance. For more information, call Midway Equestrian at 712-534-2250 or visit midwayequestrian.com.

Where horses are concerned, you can’t go wrong in giving them your trust and seeing where it takes you. You never know, they might just teach you a thing or two about trusting in yourself.