Our Team
Our Team
Donna Lombardi
Donna Lombardi
Donna Lombardi
Our Team
Donna Lombardi
Our Team
Donna Lombardi is an AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) Professional Horseman, with over 35 years of experience training, riding, and working with horses. Donna has managed barns with over 40 horses, and has devoted her life to nurturing and taking care of her horses.
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Her love and care for the horses has been the driving force of her success in the many competitions she has won, including winning Top Ten Riders 29 times as well as many other championships. Donnas has built a career teaching, training and coaching people on interaction with horses, and has developed high standards and a strong emphasis on natural horsemanship.
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Donna teaches with relaxed and professional atmosphere. Her students have been champions and top ten at the Quarter Horse Congress, qualified for the Congress youth team, youth world championship and multiple circuit championships.
As part of her ongoing learning, she has studied “The power of the herd” theory and “Touched By a Horse” Soulfulness Theory. Donna continues to study “Healing with Horses in Treatment of Trauma”, and has thousands of hours of experience working with kids and adults to develop their personal growth through their interaction with horses.
Donna Lombardi is an AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) Professional Horseman, with over 35 years of experience training, riding, and working with horses. Donna has managed barns with over 40 horses, and has devoted her life to nurturing and taking care of her horses.
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Her love and care for the horses has been the driving force of her success in the many competitions she has won, including winning Top Ten Riders 29 times as well as many other championships. Donnas has built a career teaching, training and coaching people on interaction with horses, and has developed high standards and a strong emphasis on natural horsemanship.
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Donna teaches with relaxed and professional atmosphere. Her students have been champions and top ten at the Quarter Horse Congress, qualified for the Congress youth team, youth world championship and multiple circuit championships.
As part of her ongoing learning, she has studied “The power of the herd” theory and “Touched By a Horse” Soulfulness Theory. Donna continues to study “Healing with Horses in Treatment of Trauma”, and has thousands of hours of experience working with kids and adults to develop their personal growth through their interaction with horses.
Donna Lombardi is an AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) Professional Horseman, with over 35 years of experience training, riding, and working with horses. Donna has managed barns with over 40 horses, and has devoted her life to nurturing and taking care of her horses.
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Her love and care for the horses has been the driving force of her success in the many competitions she has won, including winning Top Ten Riders 29 times as well as many other championships. Donnas has built a career teaching, training and coaching people on interaction with horses, and has developed high standards and a strong emphasis on natural horsemanship.
​
Donna teaches with relaxed and professional atmosphere. Her students have been champions and top ten at the Quarter Horse Congress, qualified for the Congress youth team, youth world championship and multiple circuit championships.
As part of her ongoing learning, she has studied “The power of the herd” theory and “Touched By a Horse” Soulfulness Theory. Donna continues to study “Healing with Horses in Treatment of Trauma”, and has thousands of hours of experience working with kids and adults to develop their personal growth through their interaction with horses.
Donna Lombardi is an AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) Professional Horseman, with over 35 years of experience training, riding, and working with horses. Donna has managed barns with over 40 horses, and has devoted her life to nurturing and taking care of her horses.
​
Her love and care for the horses has been the driving force of her success in the many competitions she has won, including winning Top Ten Riders 29 times as well as many other championships. Donnas has built a career teaching, training and coaching people on interaction with horses, and has developed high standards and a strong emphasis on natural horsemanship.
​
Donna teaches with relaxed and professional atmosphere. Her students have been champions and top ten at the Quarter Horse Congress, qualified for the Congress youth team, youth world championship and multiple circuit championships.
As part of her ongoing learning, she has studied “The power of the herd” theory and “Touched By a Horse” Soulfulness Theory. Donna continues to study “Healing with Horses in Treatment of Trauma”, and has thousands of hours of experience working with kids and adults to develop their personal growth through their interaction with horses.
Tel: 917-725-0884
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Animal Assisted Therapy
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Equine Assisted Therapy at the "Wise Horse Ranch"
Equine facilitated psychotherapy is becoming more and more popular since more and more research available to proof its positive impact on humans. Its secret lies in the mutual attraction between humans and horses.
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Horses are herd animals, and their survival depends on effective communication (quick and accurate) among the herd’s members. In order to communicate quickly, horses use electromagnetic fields to transfer their messages. These accurate messages come from the “feelings” that horses naturally identify, and use as information on how to act.
For example, when a horse sees a predator that is about to strike, the horse will not analyze the situation or doubt his assessment, but will act out of fear immediately by running (horses’ first choice) or fighting the predator if needed. The emotion that this horse experiences holds certain amounts of energy that will be immediately sent and picked up by the rest of the herd – so that everyone knows what to do.
One of the features that is attractive for humans in horses, is the horse’s ability to not doubt themselves in trusting their feelings and to act precisely on the information that feeling brings. In today’s world, humans learned to undermine or completely dismiss their emotions as less valuable. Since childhood every human is being taught to behave in the society according to the norms that slowly shake the confidence of our intuition.
Through the interaction with horses, humans can relearn their behavior patterns and regain trust in their intuition. Horses on the other hand are attracted to humans because of their own need for survival through diversity: the more diverse the herd, the more chances of survival the herd has.
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Leading the horse using only your inner power
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For all corporate equine workshops please call at 917-725-0884
For therapeutic riding, please contact Doreen Higham at Wise horse Ranch Tel: 845-281-2457.
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“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
― Winston S. Churchill
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Canine Assisted Therapy - Therapy Dogs
I am often asked what exactly a therapy dog does in session. The answer is always "depends". Sometimes the entire purpose of the therapy dog's presence is to create more relaxed atmosphere for an individual who is uncomfortable and anxious. The dogs sense the need for comfort and simply climb on the couch next to the person or calmly sleep on floor warming the feet.
Other times the feelings and thoughts can be projected on the dog: it is much easier to talk about what the dog may think about "me" rather what "I may think about me".
When both dogs were present in session, relational issues and their resolutions surface into a conversation. Children can identify sibling rivalry and adults can learn non-judgmental approach to conflicts by observation.
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We said Goodbye to Queen
In 2024 our hearts were broken by relatively sudden passing of Queen - my ultimate therapy dog. She was a big girl - 165 lbs of love - a true Leonberger.
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Her illness was unexpected due to Queen’s young age of only five years old, which made the news even more devastating. We are grateful for the time that we had to say goodbye; and for everyone, whom Queen touched by her healing soul, there was an opportunity to give her the last hug.
Queen helped dozens of kids overcome fear of dogs, and she was able to provide comfort and emotional regulations to many people.
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Mufasa lost his beloved "mother figure" and was fully grieving for about 6-8 weeks (no appetite, looking lost and sad). By now he is almost back to his regular self and learning how to become the "adult" dog. He never really needed to "grow up" while Queen was around and in charge.
He is spending more time at the Wise Horse Ranch and is exceptionally friendly with all the farm animals - chickens, goats, horses.
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(!) At the moment, I am giving Mufasa the time that he needs to fully recover from this loss. He is semi-retired. Therefore, I will not be incorporating him in the therapy process in the Englewood office until the time feels right.
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