WMFZ visits Kindle Hill
Where Horses Heal: Kindle Hill Foundation Is Changing Lives
When 17-year-old DaShawn visited Kindle Hill Farm in Blue Bell, PA, something clicked. Walking a therapy horse named Blue across 128 acres of quiet Montgomery County countryside, this city teen who is one of 3,000 Pennsylvania children waiting to be adopted said it best: "Living in the city is chaotic sometimes. Coming out here, it's quiet. I want to work here."
That moment was captured on camera by WFMZ 69 News reporter Bo Koltnow, and it's a pretty perfect snapshot of what Kindle Hill Foundation is all about. Through equine-assisted therapy and learning programs, they help children, teens, families, first responders, and veterans across the Greater Philadelphia region find healing that traditional therapy sometimes can't reach on its own.
Horses are honest. They don't care what you look like or what you've been through. They respond to how you're actually feeling in that moment, which makes them surprisingly powerful therapeutic partners, especially for kids who have learned not to trust people easily. For a teenager who has spent time in foster care, building a real connection with a 1,200-pound animal who asks nothing of you except that you show up and be real, that can be a turning point.
DaShawn's equine therapist, Lisa Gladish, is PATH-certified and guided him gently through the whole experience. She coached him to relax his shoulders, read Blue's body language, and walk together in a kind of quiet partnership. By the end he was feeding Blue a giant carrot and grinning. His caseworker Mary Ouattara put it simply: "Invest in him, he'll show up for you. A sweetheart, very sweet, very loyal, very funny."
Kindle Hill Foundation serves a wide range of people across the region including children, adolescents, teens, young adults, adults, veterans, first responders, and teachers. Families can participate together. Young adults who feel stuck often find that one session with a horse gives them more clarity than months of traditional therapy. First responders and veterans have their own dedicated program, and Kindle Hill is actually the only facility in the country offering equine-assisted training specifically designed for law enforcement. They partner with police departments, the FBI, Montgomery County Emergency Services, and agencies across Philadelphia and the surrounding counties in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
There are about 3,000 young people in Pennsylvania right now in DaShawn's situation, waiting and hoping someone will choose them. Kindle Hill Foundation can't give them a family, but they can give them something that matters just as much in the meantime: the feeling of being capable, connected, and calm. Sometimes that's exactly what a kid needs to believe a good future is possible.
To learn more about their programs, visit kindlehill.org.