Bob Nichols is introduced to Fred with the help of volunteers Janice Chapman, of Enfield, center, and Kristin Burch, of White River Junction, at High Horses Therapeutic Riding in Sharon on Wednesday. Kindred Spirits is a program that brings people with dementia and horses together. Jennifer Hauck / Valley News

Billie Jean Lyons, a resident of Sunapee Cove Assisted Living & Memory Care in Sunapee, grooms Dixie at High Horses Therapeutic Riding in Sharon on Wednesday while taking part in the Kindred Spirits program. Valley News — Jennifer Hauck

Bob Nichols, a resident of Sunapee Cove Assisted Living & Memory Care in Sunapee, grooms Fred at High Horses Therapeutic Riding in Sharon on Wednesday.

At High Horses Therapeutic Riding in Sharon, Vt., Billie Jean Lyons brushes Dixie’s forelock on Wednesday. Lyons is a resident of Sunapee Cove Assisted Living & Memory Care.

Bob Nichols stood in a ring where he slowly pushed a brush through Fred’s mane.

“You can rest your arm on him. That’s awesome. He likes it,” said Janice Chapman, a volunteer at High Horses Therapeutic Riding Program in Sharon.

Nichols kept his eyes on Fred, a Haflinger cross pony who is part of Kindred Spirits, a new program launched by High Horses earlier this month that pairs horses and people with a dementia diagnosis. Nichols and Billie Jean Lyons are the first participants. They pet, brush and lead the horses along with assistance from volunteers and staff; they do not ride the animals.

Nichols, 76, is generally nonverbal, said Steve Mason, who works at Sunapee Cove Assisted Living, where Nichols and Lyons live.

“He’s getting into it right away. It energized himself,” said Mason, who looked on in awe as Nichols continued to brush Fred. Mason has known Nichols for around three years. “I can’t believe he’s keeping at it over there. It’s keeping his attention.”

Currently in its pilot stage, Kindred Spirits was founded by Shari Gliedman-Baker, program administrator at the nonprofit organization. Prior to joining High Horses, she worked as an occupational therapist in skilled nursing facilities, including memory care units.

Horses are prey animals who live in the moment, responding to what’s around them.

“For people with dementia, they’re very much the same,” Gliedman-Baker said in a phone interview earlier this month. “They live in the moment, so we kind of think of them as kindred spirits.”

Last summer, Gliedman-Baker invited staff from area memory care homes and adult day centers to High Horses to learn more about the program. But COVID-19 came roaring back, delaying those plans. This March, the pilot program launched and Gliedman-Baker is currently recruiting more participants.

When Lyons and Nichols arrived Wednesday morning, they went outside to visit the horses standing in the sun. A barn cat named Tuffie greeted the group as they approached Kora, a bay warmblood and former show jumper.

“Isn’t she soft, Billie Jean?” asked Abigail Simmons, an occupational therapy intern at High Horses.

“Yes she is,” Lyons, 69, replied as she pet Kora’s nose. “Want to pet him, Bob?”

Nichols approached with help from Mason and put out his hand. Lyons stepped back to gather Tuffie in her arms, who tolerated being held briefly before angling to be back on the ground.

As Nichols gave Kora cautious pets under her chin, Gliedman-Baker stood back in wonder.

“This is why we need to do this program,” she said.

After greeting the horses outside, the group returned to the barn. Lyons began to brush Dixie, a grey Percheron/Welsh pony cross mare. They had formed a quick bond during an earlier visit. One of Lyons’ hands glided over Dixie with a brush and the second followed with a smooth pat. Dixie stood patiently, barely moving as hair puffed off her body.

“They … feed off energy, so they can sense the energy the individuals are putting out and respond to that,” said Simmons, who is from Nebraska. “Part of why they’re so calm is they know what they need to do for the people who are around them.”

Chapman stayed beside Nichols, occasionally holding his hand to guide it along Fred’s mane and body. Before working with Nichols, Chapman, of Enfield, had been told Nichols did not like to be touched, but at one point he grabbed her hand.

“It just meant so much,” she said later, tearing up. “When I saw his eyes, it just hit me. It warms my heart.”

After brushing was done, Nichols and Lyons led each of the horses around the ring. Each held a lead while a volunteer held another. After around an hour, it was time to say goodbye. Lyons and Nichols both had a moment alone with each horse to give pets and thanks.

“I think I like their attitudes. When you connect with a horse and you know they like what you’re doing, it’s special. It’s like finding a new friend,” Lyons said. “You connect with the horse. You feel how comfortable they are. It’s that bond.”

Editor’s note: For more information about Kindred Spirits, email shari@highhorses.org.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

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