Our Story
Hands for Healing Equine began in 2025, but the work behind it has been quietly underway for decades.
Suzanne MacPhail — Founder and Executive Director, Licensed Mental Health Counselor — spent more than thirty years sitting with people through trauma, grief, and the long middle of healing. Along the way, she kept noticing the same thing: the moments that moved people forward most weren't the ones that happened in chairs. They happened in barns. Around horses and donkeys. In the quiet pauses where words ran out, and something else took over.
So she built a haven around that observation.
Hands for Healing Equine is a nonprofit equine-assisted learning center on a working farm in Topsfield, Massachusetts. We partner with four equines — Sophie and Momma, our horses; Poe and Autumn, our donkeys — to offer ground-based programs for veterans, women in addiction recovery, parents moving through grief, and anyone navigating a life chapter that traditional venues haven't reached.
There is no riding. The equines are partners, not props. Our facilitators are EAGALA-certified. And the work happens on the ground, in real time, between a person and a 1,200-pound animal who has no agenda except to be exactly themselves.
That's the story. The rest of this page is what we believe, what we offer, and who we are.
Our certified equine-assisted learning partners lead a variety of programs designed to empower and heal individuals through meaningful interaction with equines.
We offer small group sessions that foster teamwork and communication, organizational programs that build confidence and structure, leadership initiatives that cultivate responsibility and self-awareness, and specialized veteran programs that provide emotional support and rehabilitation.
Our Foundation
The why behind our work.
Our Mission
Hands for Healing Equine is a heart-centered haven dedicated to supporting those who give care and those who seek it. Alongside our equine partners, we create experiences that nurture resilience, foster inner peace, and help individuals and groups rediscover harmony — within themselves and the world around them.
Our Vision
A world where healing, connection, and growth are nurtured through the partnership between humans and equines. We envision a community where individuals, families, and care providers find peace, purpose, and empowerment through shared experiences with our herd — fostering resilience and hope for generations to come.
Our Values
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Compassion: We honor each person's journey with empathy, understanding, and care.
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Connection: We believe in the bond between humans, equines, and nature as a pathway to self-awareness and balance.
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Integrity: We hold ourselves to authenticity, respect, and ethical practice in everything we do.
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Healing: We embrace the power of equine-assisted experiences to support emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
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Community: We cultivate a supportive environment where care providers, individuals, and families come together to share, learn, and grow.
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Sustainability: We care for our equines, our land, and our people in ways that honor long-term balance.
