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News in Our Community Woodslawn Therapy Miniature Horses For Joyce Purington, Miniature horses are so much more than just cute companions. She knows that although they may be small, minis can make big differences in the lives of children facing physical, mental, and emotional challenges. With the help of her four minis and her young granddaughters, Joyce offers therapy programs from her farm in western Massachusetts. “Horses first came into my life when I was just a young girl,” says Joyce. “I grew up in Gill and come from a family of ten. When my brother John was a teenager, my father got him a pony — but I was far more excited about that pony than he was! My love for horses blossomed from caring for that first pony. I eventually got my own strawberry roan Quarter Horse who I loved dearly. I joined a riding club for girls in Miller’s Falls and have many happy memories of riding all day long. “I married into a family with a dairy farm in Colrain called Woodslawn Farm. It’s been in the family for 238 years, and my husband and I are the current owners. In addition to our many dairy cows, I keep five horses of my own: four Miniature horses and a Palomino. I run an equine therapy program with the Miniature horses, called Woodslawn Therapy Minis, for children facing physical and mental challenges. “I’ve always especially loved Miniature horses. I find them to be a lot of fun, and I love how they are approachable for everyone. Minis are capable of so much. They are gentle and sweet and can be a really great way for someone to start working with horses — especially for people with a mental or physical challenge. Also, people often feel a little more comfortable starting small. “Personally, I enjoy training Miniature horses to drive and teaching them to per-
form little tricks. I’ve taught my minis to bow, do the Spanish walk, and smile on cue. It’s so fun to just play around with them! “About three years ago, I had a little boy with ADHD visit the farm. He had lots of energy, and it was difficult for him to focus that energy. His mother brought him to see the horses, and I invited him to drive one of the minis with me. He got
Joyce Purington at Woodslawn Therapy Miniature Horses.
into the cart, and it was amazing to see how his demeanor changed once we were out in the arena together. He became very calm, content, and absorbed in the task at hand. Best of all, he was happy — the smile on his face when he helped me drive the pony was heartwarming. “I was completely amazed by that interaction, and I started learning more about Miniature horses working as therapy animals. At the time, my sister-in-law, Carol Purington, was living with us. Carol was a well-known poet living with polio; unfortunately, she passed away about a year ago. In her room she had a respirator and an iron lung, which made a lot of noise and could be quite scary for horses. She was always very supportive of my interest in training the minis to be therapy animals and encouraged me to bring the Community Horse Spring/Summer 2022
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