Medicine Horse Program Foal Festival Helps Kids and Horses

Saturday November 7, 2009
Medicine Horse Program’s 2009 Foal Festival attracted a large group of Boulder County community leaders united to support this organization that helps kids through horses. Medicine Horse Program, a national leader in equine assisted therapy, serves over 350 Boulder families per year in a unique program using rescued horses to rescue at-risk youth.The Foal Festival was held Saturday, November 7th, at Medicine Horse Program, with a dinner, dancing, silent auction and Foal Parade.Over 150 supporters rallied to raise awareness and funding for this growing program.An appreciation ceremony honored major donors participating in the capital campaign. Honorees included Jack and Sophie Walker, Two Trees Foundation, Myra Eby, and corporate sponsor MyChelle Dermaceuticals. MyChelle Dermaceuticals, recently relocated to Louisville, has sponsored the HopeFoal Program for 5 years.The Foal Festival highlights the award winning HopeFoal Program.Foals are rescued from the Premarin industry. Premarin, an estrogen replacer used to control symptoms of menopause, stands for pregnant mare urine. Estrogen is extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Their babies are by-products, sent to slaughter for meat. Medicine Horse Program rescues four or five foals per year. When the foals arrive at Medicine Horse, they are anxious, depressed, and sometimes angry, anorexic and ill. Unhandled by humans, they are wild, frightened, and missing their mothers. These foals are paired with teenage girls facing similar attachment issues. The girls, referred through their therapists, schools, families and mental health centers, are often anxious, depressed, angry and sometimes with suicidal ideation. The girls help tame the foals, and in the process, both are healed.