Satin's Shelly has spent her entire life taking care of others - from the Amish children who drove her to school when she was young, to becoming a driving partner and family horse for her owner Kate Cabot, and now to her "third act," serving as a therapy horse at Strongwater Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, where "Shelly" has lived since 2022. But no matter her role, this special Morgan mare has always exemplified the best of what her breed has to offer: versatility, enthusiasm, and a loving, reliable temperament.
"She has given so many gifts to those who love her," says Shannon Giugere, one of Strongwater's instructors. "Shelly is patient, kind, and trustworthy. Her calm demeanor has helped people get over their fear of horses and riding, and her bravery outside and on roads has made her an unflappable trail horse."
Although the majority of Shelly's training prior to joining the equine team at Strongwater revolved around driving, she transitioned seamlessly into her new job as a mounted therapeutic lesson horse there. Thanks to her familiarity with the pressure of shafts along her sides, she readily accepted the presence of sidewalkers supporting a rider. Shelly has also played an integral role in unmounted horsemanship lessons and touch therapy sessions, working with a wide variety of clients with different social, emotional, cognitive, and physical challenges. But there are two groups of clients with whom Shelly shares a special rapport: children, and those living with dementia.
"Shelly will always drop her head low to have her bridle put on, so even a small child can tack her," explains Giguere. "She is good at standing and waiting, and will often take a nap while being groomed."
Even when a child becomes upset - screaming, kicking, or gripping tightly - Shelly remains calm and trustworthy, seemingly unaffected by the human's energy. Never one to miss the opportunity for a little dress-up time, Shelly also has students that love to dazzle her up in glitter, braids, and paint.
"She has quite a few lessons where she just stands on the cross ties the whole time being doted on and loved on," Giguere says with a laugh.
When patients from Fairview Senior Living in Hudson, New Hampshire visit the farm, the buckskin mare is a particular favorite.
"Shelly has shown an affinity for people with dementia and has the kind of sweet and patient nature that makes her a natural at working with them," says Giguere.
Although Shelly has made important contributions to the lives of hundreds of people during her tenure with Strongwater - from clients to staff to volunteers - there was one woman for whom her intuitive nature and kind heart made a difficult diagnosis more bearable. Julie was a lifelong equestrian diagnosed with ALS, and it was her weekly rides on Shelly which restored a degree of independence to her life, even as the disease progressed and Julie required more support to mount and dismount.
"Shelly would stand perfectly still for minutes at a time as Julie, and the team, wept," remembered Giguere. "She never moved a muscle until Julie asked her to. Every week a new change in her abilities arose, and Shelly met each loss with a peaceful, loving, gentle mount."
When Julie was on home hospice, Shelly visited her one last time, unloading in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and going right over to her friend for a final hello. The Strongwater staff watched as Shelly lingered by Julie in her motorized chair, nuzzling her and eating an apple from her lap.
"Shelly touched Julie in such a deep way, and for this alone, she is a hero," says Giguere.
She may look to the rest of the world like a regular buckskin Morgan mare, but according to those who know her best, Shelly is, in fact, a unicorn. And word is getting out - recently, Shelly was presented with the 2025 American Morgan Horse Association Therapy Horse Award.
"We are truly grateful for her," says Melissa Salerno, equine operations manager at Strongwater. "She helps people every day, and she is often what some of these people look forward to most about their week. She helps people love, laugh, and feel again. She loves everyone who greets her, and we love her so much more."
