Gift Horses (2016)

Description

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
– Winston Churchill

Horses don’t judge by appearance. They look past peoples’ disabilities and recognize the emotions inside. A horse is a mirror of the soul.

Horseback riding provides physical therapy. Walking with the horse, touching the horse, grooming the horse all provide emotional therapy.

Gift Horses shows the benefits of using horses for therapy:

• Horses provide a safe and protected venue to help Autistic children speak for the first time.
• Horses comfort people disabled by grief.
  Horseback riding gives blind people the freedom and mobility to go wherever they want.
• Horseback riding puts wheelchair users at the same eye level as able-bodied riders.
• Horseback riding gives wheelchair users the ability to travel over any terrain.

Gift Horses won the following awards:

• Award of Merit: Disability Issues/Documentary Short Best Shorts Competition September 2021
• Inclusion Award received at the 2018 PhillyCAM Award Ceremony Philadelphia, PA
• First Place The 2017 Media Film Festival Audience Award in Media, PA
• Second Place Audience Award 2017 Southside Film Festival in Bethlehem, PA
• 2016 IndieFest recipient of the Award of Merit: Documentary Short (Student)
• 2016 IndieFEST Film Awards Humanitarian Award Honorable Mention
• Best Director Documentary Short 2016 Atlantic City Cinefest in Atlantic City, NJ

Second Place Audience Award at the 2016 Roslyn Film Festival in Roslyn, PA