Hello everyone! My name is Lara Koebke and I am pleased to be one of the newest additions to the Chinook Horses team! I am an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) with the Billings Metro VISTA Project (B-MVP) and will be serving with Chinook Horses for a year. I moved here to Billings […]
Kris Carpenter, founder and owner of Sanctuary Spa & Salon and The Joy of Living, can’t remember when she first became friends with Chinook Horses Founder and Executive Director, Abigail Hornik. Kris thinks their friendship started as a social connection years ago, ignited by a shared love for community. Soon, she began to hear more […]
By the time you read this, Chinook Horses team member Andrew Pearson will have graduated from his occupational therapy doctoral program at the University of Mary! If you or your child is a client at Chinook Horses, you may have seen Andrew over the past few months at the barn as he was working on […]
Alba describes her son as an old soul. From the time he was little, he was sweet and loving, and a “big hugger.” But as the pandemic wore on, the 16 year old became more introverted and was spending more time on his own. He expressed his anxiety to his mom, but didn’t know how […]
Welcome Adam, Cortney, and Abbey to our Board! Adam Decker N/A Sales Manager, Briggs Distributing Co. Born and raised in Billings, Adam Decker attended Billings Senior High School and later MSU-Billings, where he graduated with a degree in accounting. Upon graduating Adam entered the family business, Briggs Distributing Company, where he has held various […]
Stephanie Melmer is a LCSW that specializes in Mental Health Counseling at Billings Clinic and provides therapy sessions at Chinook Horses. During a therapy session, 14-year-old Stephanie was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, she immediately responded with “I want to do what you do…help people heal so they can […]
Susan Edwards, a native of Montana, has been a supporter of Chinook Horses since the inception of the organization. Susan met Abigail, Founder and Director, through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) program at Rocky Mountain College in 2014. Soon after, Susan attended a fundraising event and was captivated to learn that direct contact […]
Welcome to our Board, Cassie and Ericka! Cassie Crookston VP, Opportunity Bank Raised in Billings/Laurel area, Cassie Crookston is the VP Regional Retail Manager for Opportunity Bank where she devotes her time doing business development, management, and connecting with the Billings community. Cassie is the President of The Laurel Exchange Club, Board Member for […]
Chase came to Chinook Horses at the beginning of the summer, referred to us by his social worker. He had recently gone to live with an Auntie and was really struggling to control violent outbursts towards family members. “Taking it out on the wrong person,” is how his foster mom Stacy described it. Chase began […]
Last year, we completed our report on the research done in collaboration with the Billings Public Schools and University of Mary, Dept. of Occupational Therapy on the outcomes of our equine-facilitated learning program Social Thinking Groups! Click HERE to read the report.