Manes & Miracles

at Chaffee Crossing


At Manes & Miracles, we offer equine-assisted therapy to individuals with special needs and Therapeutic Horsemanship to Veterans through our "Hooves for Heroes Program". Equine-Assisted Therapy is an animal-assisted therapy to help those with a wide variety of disabilities, providing both emotional and physical therapy for the patient. Equine Therapy has been used to treat both adults and children suffering from autism, seizure disorder, anxiety disorder, learning disorders, brain injury, behavioral problems, and many other physical and emotional disorders.


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Our Services


Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement. It is utilized as part of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional outcomes.

Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic Riding encompasses a variety of equine activities in which people with disabilities participate. The emphasis is on riding skills development, which has an abundance of benefits for the rider.

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy/Counseling is uniquely suited for achieving enhanced emotional wellness and a more satisfying life. Working with a licensed mental health professional, an equine specialist and one or more horses,  clients work towards their goals. Many develop a deeper self-awareness, improved self-efficacy, richer interpersonal relationships and greater resilience in the face of life's challenges.

Hooves for Heroes

The Hooves for Heroes program will be tailored to fit the needs of each Veteran. The goal will be to leverage the power of the horses to ease the participant's transition to civilian life and help them realize their potential as civic assets and community leaders. Veterans will be helped through Hippotherapy, Therapeutic Riding, and Equine-Faciliated Psychotherapy.

Learn more about Hooves for Heroes!

Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapy


Physical Benefits

Equine Therapy can improve motor coordination, posture, balance, muscle tone, concentration, self-esteem and self-confidence in riders with special needs. Hippotherapy uses a multi-dimensional movement, that is variable, rhythmic and repetitive and provides a dynamic base of support making it an excelling tool for motor skill acquisition. When an individual sits astride a horse, the horse’s walking gait imparts a movement response similar to normal human gait which has an immediate impact on balance, coordination, timing, reaching, grading of postural responses, and physiological function.

Communication Skills

Equine movement has shown to help individuals with speech, language, social and cognitive-communication and swallowing difficulties by corresponding with the brain and sensory system. Incorporating the horse in the client’s treatment can also increase motivation, participation, and engagement in therapy to help the client improve functional skills.  Using the equine movement in an equine environment provides natural opportunities to practice and increase speech sound production, shared/joint attention, vocabulary, understanding, and use of verbal and non-verbal signals prepare and explore new foods and so much more.  Equine-assisted therapy is a great therapy tool used to help the client improve their daily communication needs.   

Emotional Bonds

For those who have emotional problems, caring for the horse can create a bond they didn't even realize was happening. By learning to care for these horses, they associate the care they provide with feelings and an emotional bridge is constructed. They brush them, hug them, and pat them and almost always end up loving them. This bond can lead to social and communication skill production with other people in his life as well.

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Our Mission: Manes and Miracles is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide equine-assisted therapy to people with disabilities, to create an environment where opportunity replaces limitation, and to help children and adults learn the power of the words "I can".


Our Vision: The vision of Manes & Miracles is to provide hippotherapy and adaptive riding for 90 - 100 patients weekly in a state of the art researched based therapy facility.


Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

As a nonprofit organization we rely heavily on the generosity of caring individuals and service groups. Opportunities for volunteering are available and vary from assisting with horses and riders, data entry, odd jobs, helping with special events and fundraising activities, and other things as needed.


If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities, please contact us using our form or call us at 479-970-8351 Thank you so much for time, we appreciate your kind heart.


Become a Volunteer

Thank You so Much to All of Our Generous Sponsors!


The Hembree Endowment

Don and Jennifer McDonald

The Degen Foundation

Cliff and Marcy Cabaness

Fiori Family Charitable Fund

Learn More about AHA: American Hippotherapy Association

Make a Donation or Become a Sponsor

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Manes & Miracles @ Chaffee Crossing
P.O. Box 11828 Fort Smith, AR 72917



Learn more about PATH: Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship