Colleen Spurlock

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and horses have played a huge role in my own mental health journey. From my early days at Pembrook Farm in New Jersey to the work we do today in Costa Rica, horses have always been a place of peace, connection, and purpose for me.

There is a joke in the horse world that says, “Have problems? Get horses and you’ll forget about them because you’ll have many new ones.” It always makes me laugh because there is some truth in it. Horses challenge us, ground us, and pull us into the present moment in a way very few things can.

At Flying Horse Foundation, we see every week how horses help people regulate emotions, build trust, gain confidence, and reconnect with themselves and others. This work is not only therapeutic, it is preventative. It gives people tools, support, and healthy relationships before they reach a crisis, something I believe is unique in both medicine and mental health care.

I have been incredibly fortunate to work with Flying Horse Foundation for almost 5 years, along side my husband, Rayner Araya, for 3. It is truly a gift to be part of a foundation that creates spaces where people feel safe, valued, and understood.

Flying Horse Costa Rica welcomes more than 70 children and 60 seniors for weekly sessions to learn, reflect, and build relationships with the horses through the CARES principles: Connection, Awareness, Resilience, Empathy, and Self-regulation.

Please consider supporting the foundation and the communities we serve through the link below. We would be so grateful for your support.