BROWNING — At a frigid barn near Browning, a unique collaboration is using horses as a path to healing. Through a partnership between Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish (NHS) College and Two Powers Land Collective, the initiative blends traditional horsemanship and therapeutic riding to support both physical and emotional well-being.
WATCH:
A Dream in Motion
For Lynn Mad Plume, the director of Two Powers Land Collective, the project is a long-awaited dream turned reality.
“This was our dream,” she explains. “And so we started asking, how do we do this differently? How do we make this successful? Because it’s been attempted before, and it fails.”
With a fresh approach, the two organizations have joined forces to train new riders and instructors, incorporating equine therapy with deep cultural roots in Native traditions.
The Power of Equine Therapy
Lori Nelson, Director of Agriculture at NHS College, describes the program as therapeutic riding—an internationally recognized form of equine-assisted therapy.
“Those of us that own horses, we naturally know that they make us feel better,” she says. “The horses seem to know how you’re feeling when you come out to the barn.”
Katie Oakland, a certified therapeutic riding instructor with NHS College, is leading the hands-on training.
“We’re teaching horsemanship with a therapeutic benefit,” she says. “The goal is to help participants become certified therapeutic riding instructors through PATH International, an accreditation that will open new opportunities for them.”
Restoring Cultural Bonds Through Horses
For many Native communities, horses are more than just animals—they are sacred partners in survival and spirituality.
“Our ancestors were naturally good horsemen because of the unique bond they were able to create with them,” says Kelsey Mad Plume, Communications Director of 2 Powers Land Collective.
Lynn Mad Plume adds that this connection is deeply interwoven with cultural healing.
“We’re very close to our culture, but in recent years, we’ve lost that. A lot of our people suffer because of it,” she says. “There’s a stigma around talking about mental health, but the horse breaks that barrier. It becomes a friend, a source of comfort, and a way to build trust again.”
A Path to Certification and Community Healing
The week-long training program is the first step in a broader effort to certify new therapeutic riding instructors and expand access to equine therapy.
The program’s name—derived from the Blackfeet word for horse—pays homage to an ancestral understanding:
“Horses were seen as ‘big like elk and helpful like dogs,’” Lynn explains. “That’s why we call them elk dogs.”
By combining tradition with certification, the initiative aims to train local horse experts to work with younger generations, offering support for youth facing hardships.
“We want to teach those who truly know horses to help our younger kids,” Lynn says. “Back in the day, we cared about each other. This is our way of bringing that back.”
The riding programs will officially open to the community this summer, offering a space for healing, cultural restoration, and a renewed connection with the land and its animals.
Click here to visit the Two Powers Land Collective site.
