Equine assisted-services program finds new home at Institute for Equine Sciences
Courtney Cares program serves families in need with healing through horses
A Texas A&M program that provides equine-assisted services to the Bryan-College Station community and experiential learning for Texas A&M students, will continue to thrive from a new home base within the Texas A&M Institute for Equine Sciences within Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
Known as Courtney Cares, the Courtney Grimshaw Equine Therapeutic Program was housed in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences before becoming a part of the Institute for Equine Sciences.
Since 2012, the program has served 155 families, including children and adults with physical and cognitive conditions, as well as veterans as a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International premier accredited center.
Touching lives through equine-assisted services
Courtney Cares has involved 562 volunteers and instructed over 360 Texas A&M students in the art of equine therapeutic riding, equine behavior and handling, management, and best equine-assisted service practices.
The advantage of the Institute for Equine Sciences is to provide the capacity to connect the intellectual expertise across the Texas A&M University System with the support of AgriLife Research.
The goal of this initiative is to unlock the therapeutic potential of equine-assisted services, evidence-based interventions and best practices, and to become a respected leader in support of a growing industry.
“We hope to be a driving force in the coordination of collaborative research, teaching and community services for Texas A&M, Brazos County and the Equine Assisted Service industry across the state of Texas and beyond,” said Craig Huffhines, director of the Institute for Equine Sciences.
The Courtney Cares story
Courtney Grimshaw ’85 was a dedicated horsewoman and successful businesswoman. She dreamt of creating an equine-assisted services center for children and purchased a farm near Thorndale to fulfill that vision.
Tragically, Grimshaw lost her life in an accident in 2011. Her family engaged with Texas A&M to start a program in her name and provided the initial donor pledge to create Courtney Cares.
Courtney Cares operates in collaboration with R.O.C.K., Ride on Center for Kids, in Georgetown, as well as the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Parsons Mounted Cavalry and their horses.
From its inception until 2019, Courtney Cares was housed under the A&M System. Once Global One Health at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences was introduced, the program relocated to VMBS until this fall where the program found its new home under the Institute for Equine Sciences.
The program added an experiential learning opportunity for Texas A&M students when it became a part of VMBS. Through the Biomedical Sciences 380 course – Introduction to Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy – students learn about the therapeutic horsemanship industry while they serve the community and demonstrate the Texas A&M core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service.
“We are extremely appreciative of the support this program has received from the Chancellor and Texas A&M System, and the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences over the past 12 years,” said Nancy Krenek, DPT, Texas A&M adjunct clinical assistant professor and executive director of Courtney Cares. “We are excited for this next chapter of the program as we begin to work alongside Craig and his team at the Institute.”
