Michelle Wass’ Hoofbeat Farm horse therapy delights patients at Kempsey District Hospital

Love, hate, amazement and even fear – strong emotions are at the heart of a unique equine-focused approach to therapy introduced to a Mid-North Coast hospital. Take a look.

Kevin Osborne and Mike Bolding (centre) during the recent visit to Kempsey District Hospital.

Love, hate, amazement and even fear – horses stir up emotions and this is at the heart of Hoofbeat Farm’s philosophy around equine-assisted therapy.

Michelle Wass is well-known in the Kempsey area for her visits to aged care facilities and educational institutions.

“Horses are very present, there are no expectations,” she said.

“They are not pleasers like dogs or cats and they always stir up emotions in people and it’s from that strong emotion you can start working through what’s happening to the person in that moment.”

Horses have been a constant in Michelle’s life, helping her to stay “balanced and centred” through a messy divorce.

It led her to a career in youth work and now she works full-time operating Hoofbeat Farm at Collombatti on the Mid-North Coast, north of Kempsey.

Michelle Wass and Stephen Wells with Mr T.

Susan Fraser and Possum, one of the therapy ponies from Hoofbeat Farm during their visit to Kempsey District Hospital .

Kempsey District Hospital staff enjoyed the visit from Michelle Wass and her ponies just as much as the patients.

She has many regular client, but it was her first visit to the Kempsey District Hospital recently with her little ponies Possum and Mr T.

Here she ran into an old work colleague Stephen Wells from her time as a youth counsellor at Melville High. Michelle worked there for 18 years before establishing Hoofbeat Farm about 10 years ago.

Being in a rural area, Michell finds many elderly people she visits have some kind of history with horses.

“Love or hate, but they’re both very strong emotions and it stirs up something in a person, opening up corridors in a person to what’s happening in the moment,” she said.

“It’s so lovely.”

Michelle Wass.

 The Macleay Valley Workplace Learning Centre is another one of her regular clients.

“The opportunity for the vocational college students, including young mothers and kids, to walk with the horses and develop that bond and belonging to each other is amazing to witness,” principal Mark Morrisom said.

“Michelle has a calming and active-listening demeanour which empowers courage rather than fear.”

Michelle has now remarried and hopes to retire in the next two years.

Asked if her new husband Al Tampion was into horses, she replied “he is now”.

“He is a real animal lover – no animal wouldn’t have an affinity with him,” Michelle said.

Following the success of the pre-Christmas visit, the Kempsey hospital hopes to have Michelle and her horses back on a monthly basis in the new year.