THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE HEALING POWER OF HORSES

At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Lis Hartel became the first woman to earn a medal in dressage. But it was only after the competition, when the medals were about to be awarded, that the true magnitude of her achievement became clear.

For after guiding her horse through a performance of singular athleticism, precision and grace, Hartel struggled with the simple act of dismounting and taking her place on the medals podium. Unknown to all but a few onlookers was the fact that Hartel had a disability: Years before, polio had left her paralyzed from the knees down. Seeing her difficulty, the gold medalist helped Hartel off her horse and carried her to the awards stand. There, before the cheering crowd, she received her silver medal.

Hartel was to become a leader in advocating for hippotherapy---the use of equine movement in physical, occupational and speech-language therapy. In addition to opening the first therapeutic riding center in Europe, she worked tirelessly to educate the public about how horses can help people overcome physical and emotional challenges.

Today, thousands of people benefit from