Visual Eyes

S2 Ep 15 - The Power of Horses: How Equine Therapy is Changing Lives | Denise Panariello

• Visuals by Momo • Season 2 • Episode 15

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Can horses really heal? 🐴✨ In this episode of Visual Eyes Podcast, host Chris Baker sits down with Denise Panariello, Executive Director of Bit by Bit Therapy, a nonprofit dedicated to equine-assisted therapy for individuals with disabilities.

From autism and cerebral palsy to emotional healing and sensory integration, discover how horse-assisted therapy is making a difference. Denise shares the science behind equine therapy, the profound bond between horses and humans, and how community partnerships are helping expand access to life-changing treatments.

🚀 Key Topics in This Episode:
✔️ The science behind equine therapy 🧠🐴
✔️ How horses help individuals with disabilities improve mobility & confidence
✔️ The Meggan Morency Riding Arena: A game-changer for year-round therapy
✔️ The challenges & triumphs of running a nonprofit organization
✔️ Ways YOU can support Bit by Bit’s mission & make an impact!

💡 Get Involved with Bit by Bit Therapy:
🌍 Website: www.bitbybittherapy.org
📞 Call: (754) 779-7888
📩 Email: info@bitbybittherapy.org

🎙️ Listen & Subscribe for More Inspiring Stories!
📌 Follow Visual Eyes Podcast:
🌍 Website: www.VisualEyesPodcast.com
📷 Instagram: @VisualEyesPod
📘 LinkedIn: Visual Eyes Podcast
🎥 YouTube: @VisualEyesPodcast

🔖 Hashtags for Discoverability:
#EquineTherapy #HealingWithHorses #TherapyAnimals #InclusionMatters #DisabilitySupport #SpecialNeeds #MentalHealth #HorseTherapy #NonprofitLeadership


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Special Thanks to Stacy Daugherty for the beautiful wall artwork in the background. Socials: @artographybystacy

Chris Baker:

Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore incredible connections between nonprofits, businesses and the community. This is a space where we highlight inspiring partnerships, uncover strategies for creating meaningful impact and share stories that show how working together can make all the difference. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, a business owner or someone just passionate about building connections, this podcast is for you. Welcome back to Visual Eyes. Today. I have Denise Panariello from Bit by Bit and tell us about your organization. Sure, Chris, thank you for having me. Yes, pleasure.

Denise Panariello:

Excited to be here. At Bit by Bit. We are a non-profit organization that provides therapy and therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with disabilities, starting as young as 18 months, going all the way through the lifespan. So we provide healing with the help of a horse.

Chris Baker:

I love that I actually had that opportunity back in Minnesota. That was one of the most interesting Because, honestly, if they're comfortable with you and they connect with you, that energy is so powerful it really is.

Denise Panariello:

It truly is. And then, and bit by bit bit, we take it even a step further. So we provide occupational, physical and speech therapy.

Denise Panariello:

So not only are we looking at the emotional impact, because there's no denying that the being around the horse, in the psychosocial aspect it just is so calming and makes us feel great. But we are also looking at the physical impact that the horse's movement has on an individual's body. So by putting, for example, a child who has cerebral palsy, who may have an uneven walking pattern one side of their body is different than the other by sitting on the horse and moving, the horse's movement gives them a symmetrical walking pattern that mimics the typical human gait pattern and not. There are so many other ways that we can incorporate, tapping into their sensory systems for children on the autism spectrum, who have sensory integration issues, and so we um, there's just so many magnificent ways that the horses can help in individuals so I I have to go back because, like, I've only had the opportunity to actually be on a horse once and it was the most magical moment for my brain.

Chris Baker:

So I just read like 11 books from this author that just had amazing ability to talk about horses and how they connect with humans, and they have the ability to talk to their companions. It's an amazing series. So shout out to Mercedes Lackey and read her books. The first one is the Queen's Arrow trilogy Wonderful, take a look at it. Amazing. Heading back to here, but that was the first time that I actually understood what kind of what you're talking about. I wanted to feel that connection. So when I got on the horse for the first time, it was completely in sync. Like the horse understood who I was, how the movement needed to be, it was so unique. Obviously, this wasn't necessarily, you know, the same type of you know work that they do, because it was just, you know, going out for a ride, but the horse understood they have such inept ability to work with your body and they're nonjudgmental, oh absolutely.

Denise Panariello:

No, there's no judgment, there's no preconceived notions, there's no expectations. It is just. Am I safe?

Chris Baker:

Yeah.

Denise Panariello:

You're not here to hurt me, let's go, and that is one of the things that makes it so remarkable there's no, there's no judgment, there's no. Um, what's the word I'm looking for?

Denise Panariello:

There Ego, no, ego, none, yeah, and um, and so the kids ego, no ego, yeah oh, absolutely because, you know, living in the world where they have teachers telling them what to do, parents have their rules to follow, you know. And then when they get with the horse, it's just a safe space, it's just a quiet space. The non-verbal communication you know, horses have a very powerful way of communicating with us without saying a word. And you pair that with a child who is also non-verbal and watching the connection and the communication that happens between the two is remarkable, oh, absolutely Wonderful, wonderful.

Chris Baker:

Okay, so, as you're building bit by bit, what are the collaborations that you've had the opportunity to work with?

Denise Panariello:

So there's so many other organizations and people that we collaborate with on a regular basis, and some of our biggest ones are with our local universities. So we provide clinical fieldwork opportunities for occupational therapy and physical therapy students. So we collaborate with University of Miami's physical therapy department, Nova University, FIU's nursing department Actually, they come to us for volunteer community service hours as well as Kaiser University, FIU's nursing department Actually, they come to us for volunteer community service hours, as well as Kaiser University. We've even had some out-of-state come as well for their doctorate and occupational therapy capstone projects that we do.

Chris Baker:

Other organizations.

Denise Panariello:

we also have partnered with the Dan Marino Foundation as well, as there's a school in Miami, the Marion Center, where we do they have an adult day program and we collaborate with them, where we do three six-week sessions a year and they come once a week for two hours and we have a whole program dedicated just for them as well. One of my most meaningful collaborations is with the Morenci family, and Bob and Vicki Morenci especially. They lost their daughter in 2003. She was 17 years old and she was a devoted horseback rider and they suffered a tragedy that none of us would ever want to have to go through. And in honor of her memory, every year since their loss they hold an annual fundraiser event to raise money for nonprofits and to provide healing to others as well.

Denise Panariello:

For the past eight years, bit by Bit has been so fortunate and honored to be the recipient and the beneficiary of this annual event. It has grown over just the past eight years alone. We started where we had about 400 guests and this past event we had about 1200 guests. Wow, and you know the collaboration with bob and vicky has grown so much more as as well. You know they're they're almost like family and I love them dearly, and I we are in the middle of a big project.

Denise Panariello:

We're looking to build a covered arena.

Denise Panariello:

We right now have a very open arena, no shade, open to the elements, and I have found out recently that Megan's dream was always to have her own facility.

Denise Panariello:

She always wanted to have a place of her own where she can teach others her love and her passion of riding horses, have a place of her own where she can teach others her love and her passion of riding horses, and she wanted to train horses and train children and um, and in collaboration with them, we are going to make megan's dream come true and we are about to start construction on the megan morenci riding arena and we're looking to break ground in April.

Denise Panariello:

And this is because of that relationship that we have with them and some committed members on the Mega Morenci Wild West Night Committee. Some of these individual members have put their heart and soul into this project and have been reaching out to and coming up with different collaborations with construction companies, electricians for the foundation that we need for the surveys that needed to be done. And in speaking with them, you know it is such a heart project for them that people are donating their time, they're donating their services, they're reducing costs as much as they possibly can to help make this a reality for us and for the so that's one of the most important pieces that you know I really want to hopefully get out to everyone else.

Chris Baker:

You know, obviously this kind of a project is going to cost a lot of money. However, there's other resources. Like you're talking, it is just so remarkable to see this coming together.

Denise Panariello:

I mean, my heart is so full and I am in such you and stress on the horse and you you Thank you. Yeah, this is probably a Well for starters, those 1,200 plus sessions we wouldn't have to modify. They would be able to stay on as they would the rest of the session. You, you, you, thank you. Retreats as well as workshops, educational workshops, a big part. This is so amazing. I mean, obviously this is not going to happen. I mean I'm not going to be able to do this.

Chris Baker:

We hope that the inspiration and practical insights can help you foster stronger connections and meaningful change. Don't forget to subscribe, share the episode and leave us a review. To learn more about Visuals by Momo and how we support collaboration and storytelling, visit visualsbymomo. com. A huge thank you to everyone out there listening. Until next time. Remember, collaboration fuels change and your connections can inspire the world.