100 men graduate from Valley State Prison equine therapy program

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A new beginning and what feels like a second chance, for some men at Valley State Prison.

On Tuesday, about 100 men graduated from the equine therapy program.

"It blows your mind because you would never think there would be horses. These giant majestic creatures that are very peaceful, gentle, centering," student mentor Daniel Henson said.

The seven week program at Valley State Prison started three years ago.

Daniel Henson began as a student, eventually becoming a mentor. He's seen how the program has changed others.

It gave them a little nudge toward rehabilitation. It gave them a little push toward doing the right thing. Towards being more accountable, more aware, more mindful," Henson said.

Henson was arrested at 16-years-old and is serving a years long sentence.

But when he was younger, horses were a core part of his life.

So seeing horses in the prison yard was something he didn't think he would experience again.

"I looked outside the window and I saw horses in the yard," Henson recalled. "My jaw dropped, my stomach turned, i couldn't believe it. I started getting butterflies," Henson said.

Denise Taylor, the director and chairman at New Beginnings at Circle T Ranch, says she is proud of how far these men have come in their journey.

"That had the strength, had the fortitude to stand up to these thousand pound animals, to forget about their past and to not be judge by mistakes they may have made," Taylor said.

Through the program, the inmates learn not only how to work with the horses, but also build trust.

Taylor adds it also helps with their mental health.

"They help develop critical life skills, like empathy, compassion, anger mangement, honesty, and communication," Taylor said.

While Tuesday's class was the last graduating equine therapy class at Valley State Prison, New Beginnings at Circle T Ranch hopes to keep going in the future.

Giving others a reason to ride with purpose.

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