For nearly a decade, the team at Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center in Bristol, Connecticut, has relied on the skilled support of a striking bay roan gelding named Moses to facilitate their vision: "to make a meaningful difference in the world - one person at a time - through creative, non-traditional and experiential equine-assisted services." Through his contributions to nearly every form of their diverse programming-- which includes adaptive riding, horsemanship, hippotherapy, equine-assisted learning and psychotherapy, youth development, equine facilitation, and Gestalt programs, as well as programs for veterans and seniors - "Mo Mo" has positively touched thousands of lives.
"Everything he does, he does well," says Dr. Shelly Whitlock-Pope, Shepard Meadows executive director, who describes the Clydesdale-Appaloosa as a "gentle giant" with a calming personality and willing temperament. "His level energy is transformative."
When one veteran and first responder visited Shepard Meadows with his son during a "family day" event, something about the facility made him feel at home, and he enrolled in riding lessons there. Although the traumatic experiences of his past had left this man feeling worn and dull, it wasn't long before he realized that his time with Mo Mo specifically was changing how he lived his life.
"This horse is big and looks intimidating until you meet his eyes," he says. "His eyes are warm and gentle. His patience is palpable. Walking this horse from paddock to paddock, each step feeling as if we're caught in slow motion, compels you to slow down and find peace in the moment.
"I've witnessed how Mo's demeanor remains unaffected while supporting challenging riders, myself counted among them," he continues. "Confusing cues will not shift this horse from his drive to serve. I sense from this horse that there is something larger at stake here; he offers an invitation to look within."
In Moses, this veteran saw strength, patience, and humility - qualities which had been lacking in many of his previous encounters with humans. Taking these virtues and applying them to his own interactions with others out of the saddle, he says he "became a better servant, husband, father and friendâ€"â€"more kind, more forgiving, and more generous."
"This horse, not just any horse, showed me how to do this, asking nothing in return," he said.
Moses has also impacted the volunteers who help care for the Shepard Meadows herd. One volunteer credits Moses for supporting her through her father's serious illness and eventual passing.
"During that time, I often didn't know who I was or what my place in the world was, but this horse's gentle, affirming presence was a lighthouse in the category five hurricane of my life," she shares. "This horse truly became my anchor to the living world."
For this volunteer, Moses provided a steady, healing presence in her life when she needed it the most.
"Moses offered comfort in ways only he could - using his body's warmth and the gentle reassuring pressure of his flank against my side, lending his strength, absorbing and releasing my grief, as I processed emotions," she says. "He affirmed choices I was contemplating in my life, and through his subtle yet intentional movements - either stepping toward me in encouragement or away in quiet reflection - helped guide my path forward. This horse is a profound healer. He is more than just a horse I work with; he is one of my best, truest friends."
In recognition of his many contributions to the field of equine-assisted services, Moses was named the 2025 Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) Equine of the Year.
