GREAT FALLS — Eagle Mount of Great Falls is in its first phase of re-opening their summer programs, including taking horses to nursing homes and assisted living facilities for distance viewing by residents.
The idea is to bring smiles to senior living communities for residents that don't get out much, and on Wednesday, the residents and staff at Highgate Senior Living got a visit from the horses and their handlers.
They had a horse and a mini horse, which was dressed as a bandit and had cowboy hats and bandannas.
Jenny Gooldy, a horse rider/trainer for Eagle Mount, said, "During these times, there's been a lot of anxiety, a lot of loneliness, especially with our assisted living facilities and nursing homes. Seniors are restricted to how many people they can see. It's a struggle for everyone. So we wanted to get back to the community and find a way just to kind of work on mental wellness and give back."
She also explained how bringing the horses around can bring back fond memories for many people.
"We've got a lot of people who are ranchers, or they've had horses, or they love animals. A couple of them were talking about their dads and how they used to ride horses when they're kids. It brings a lot of beautiful memories back, and it's just an excellent talking point for them."
Their next visit will be at the Beehive on Thursday at 1 pm.
The Eagle Mount mission is "to provide therapeutic and recreational activities for children, adults, and veterans with physical, developmental, behavioral and/or mental challenges, striving to improve the quality of life for them and their families." If you'd like to volunteer to help Eagle Mount, or get more information, click here to visit the website, or call 406-454-1449.
