Lauren Hall Builds Stable Foundations for Children and Young Adults

Established in 2020, SFT offers occupational and speech therapy services in East Flagstaff, operating with a distinct approach: the incorporation of horses in treatment sessions, also known as hippotherapy. For young people with developmental delays, neurological disorders or sensory challenges, hippotherapy can unlock progress where more traditional methods have failed, she says, significantly improving their physical and cognitive function.

“Horses are the closest thing to magic that we have, except it is scientifically backed as to why they are so amazing,” said Dr. Hall. “Horse hips mimic human hips. When you put a kiddo who is non-ambulatory on a horse, their muscles are getting all the same input as if they were walking themselves. In fact, 30 minutes on a horse is equivalent to 3,000 human steps. Thirty minutes on a horse also equals 3,000 motor neurons firing in your brain, just from riding. When we pair that with skilled, therapeutic activities, we see some amazing results!”

Since the start of SFT, more than 130 clients have benefited from working with six different highly trained horses.

“The horses are the foundation of what we do and help break the ice and increase motivation for our clients,” she explained. “We work with kids from age 2 to about 26, though we have worked with a few adults as well. We also work with kids who have various abilities and diagnoses, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and social-emotional disorders like anxiety and depression.”

Hall knew she wanted to be an occupational therapist since she was a junior in high school. Raised in the Valley, she came to Flagstaff to attend Northern Arizona University, where she completed her undergraduate work in biomedical sciences and disability studies in 2014. She went on to earn her doctorate in occupational therapy from NAU in 2018.

“Occupational therapy helps you complete the tasks you need to do, want to do and are expected to do in everyday life, such as motor skills, cognition, sensory processing and behavior,” she said.

After graduation, she received a certificate in animal assisted therapy and completed Hippotherapy Training Levels I and II from the American Hippotherapy Association. “While I didn’t anticipate starting my business as early as I did, hippotherapy was always the goal and I’m grateful to have gotten a head start on my training prior to the pandemic.”

When COVID-19 hit and in the years that followed, an increase in mental illness created more need for hippotherapy, she said. “I’ve had a lot of clients who have a lot of anxiety both socially and academically post-COVID. The horses have really boosted their confidence and helped them through that. We sometimes have them lead the horse first (with adult guidance) and then talk about how they led a 1,100-pound animal to really boost their self-esteem.”

Therapy sessions are offered during the school day, Monday through Friday, and are about 55 minutes long. There are usually three people involved in a hippotherapy session – the horse handler, the therapist and a side walker opposite of the therapist for safety.

In addition to academics, a productive therapy session may include working on behaviors, as well as a variety of skills including motor skills, self-care and social skills. She and her team work to set personalized objectives for each client.

“From there, we use the horse as a tool to help us achieve these goals. Horses help ground our clients while providing excellent sensory input. Plus, it is super fun for the kids and families and doesn’t feel like work!”

The horses are specially trained for their duties. “It takes a lot of time and desensitizing,” said Hall. “We are often using bright, colorful and noisy tools while on the horse, and certain clients may have some conditions where they cannot control sudden outbursts, both physical and verbal, that the horse needs to be prepared for. Horses are fight-or-flight animals. It’s very important that this is the right fit and setting for each animal we use.”

Stable Foundations operates on a one-acre property with a converted barn that serves as a functional therapy clinic. “The horse stalls open right up to the clinic, so we are able to engage with the horses, even if we are unable to ride because of the weather,” she said. A second location, only half a mile away, is where speech therapist Allie Jane DeSoto works.

“We pride ourselves on trying to be as available and accessible as possible to anyone who may benefit from having horses in their life, which is just about everybody!”

My Favorite Hobby

I love traveling! I love seeing the world, experiencing new cultures and trying new food!

My Role Model

Professionally, I would say Cassandra Sanders-Holly, a pediatric physical therapist who owns Leaps and Bounds Therapy in Norco, California. I completed one of my hippotherapy trainings at her clinic a few years ago, and I was inspired by how similar her story was to mine, where she started with one kid on her own horse. Her practice has now grown to more than 1,000 sessions per month! I’m not sure if Stable will ever get to that magnitude, but it’s been very motivating to see a success story so similar to my own origin.

My Guilty Pleasure 

Binging on Grey’s Anatomy and New Girl. I could watch those two shows forever and never get tired of them. 

My Superpower

I can usually get kids to open up to me and be comfortable and willing to engage within the first few minutes of an evaluation. A lot of kids we see have had a negative therapy experience in the past, which is typically why parents are seeking services away from the norm. It can sometimes be a lot of work to break down those barriers!

Where I Go to Relax

My own backyard! I love letting the horses (we have a donkey, too!) out to graze while kicking back on the patio and letting the kids play. Locally, I love Lockett Meadow to escape to, though that has been more difficult to get to since the fires and floods. In town, I love hanging out at Mother Road Brewing! FBN

By Betsey Bruner, FBN

Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney at Fresh Focuses Photography: Stable Foundations Therapy founder and occupational therapist Dr. Lauren Hall works with six highly trained horses in her practice. “Horse hips mimic human hips. When you put a kiddo who is non-ambulatory on a horse, their muscles are getting all the same input as if they were walking themselves,” she said.