Fran Shares Her Love of Horses

Fran walks into Rascal’s stall, strokes his neck, puts on his halter and lets him know it’s time to meet his next class,
a group from Stella Maris residential addiction recovery program. These men come to bond with our horses and learn
about trust, responsibility and themselves, which is all a part of their healing.

As one man walks Rascal in the arena, Fran reminds him to relax his elbow to give the horse some freedom. Watching them closely, she cues the participant to look ahead explaining that the horse will follow. Together, the horse and handler walk in sync, rhythmically circling and changing direction.

With a gentle pull of the leadline, Rascal halts. As the participant praises the horse with a pat, Rascal returns the love
and stretches his head around him as if to give a hug. A bond has been formed. Fran is pleased she has helped facilitate and witnessed another connection.

Fran has volunteered at Fieldstone for 27 years. She has logged 6,557 hours, one of the highest totals in our volunteer
history, helping thousands of students experience the benefits of equine therapy. “You just can’t have a bad day after
volunteering here,” she says. Helping others, working with the horses, witnessing miracles and making life-long friends is
what keeps her coming back.

“It’s like family here,” she says. She loves Fieldstone so much that even at age 80, she plans to continue helping out as long as she can. Thank you Fran, we are grateful for all that you do!