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Welcome to Rising Star Rehabilitation Center, where hoofs not only heal hearts, but have made a difference in the everyday lives of so many.
With safety foremost in mind, a platoon of trained volunteers goes on each visit. While we certainly can do "one-on-one" visits, 6 to 8 horses generally go on a facility visit. A trained volunteer handles each horse, with another keeping track of the hind end to be sure that no one gets bumped and there are no accidents. There are generally 2 or more staff members keeping an eye on everything and making sure each resident has "hands on" time with the horses. Another crew takes digital photos of each resident with a horse — and sometimes horses! — of their choice. The photos are printed on-site and presented to individuals in a keepsake folder for their memories. The results are astounding! During one visit, a woman in her eighties who had been severely handicapped by a stroke 8 months earlier was still in her room. Since the stroke, she had not moved her left arm or been able to speak. Founder Charlie Cantwell decided to pay her a visit, bringing a little company — a little 27-inch horse named Rev It Up. He went in, bringing the horse up close where she could reach him. Soon, Charlie put a piece of horse candy in her left hand. Her therapist, who happened to be in the room, explained that she couldn't move that arm. Charlie smiled and told her that it was okay, the horse would find it eventually, and continued talking to the two of them. Suddenly they noticed that her left arm was extended to Rev, offering him the treat — which, needless to say, he accepted gratefully! What a surprise! The therapist was nearly in tears as she explained to Charlie that moving that arm was something they had been working on for months with little success.
What a breakthrough! The facility called her son and he made the 120 mile trip from his home in record time. After visiting with his mother, he made a point of finding Charlie, saying that he had thought he would never have another conversation with his mother. Thanks to these little horses he was able to have that conversation. Success stories such as these are not unusual. These little horses don't cause miracles — this woman had been undergoing therapy for months. But this small horse, Rev, was the magic that made her make the extra effort.
To see the delight on people's faces when they find something that loves them and accepts them unconditionally is awe-inspiring. One resident, in a wheelchair and suffering from MS, was in tears when she said, "You don't know what you do when you bring these horses here. We are the forgotten people. And to think that you do this for nothing — you'll get your reward." Our response? We receive our reward every time we see the joy these little horses bring into someone's life, even if just for a short time.
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With an
emphasis on the elderly and handicapped, Rising Star takes horses to facilities where people can benefit
from the love, affection and caring that miniature horses provide. On completion of the planned facility, longer-term therapeutic
interaction between the horses and clients will be possible at our own barns. 
Charlie continued talking to the lady
and told her that he figured she must have
had a horse or two when she was young. Finally he told her that he'd better be heading down the hall to visit other residents
and turned to go. Before he and Rev made it to the door, a soft, gravelly voice said, "I had a pony when I was six."
