We recently connected with Isabella Mastropaolo-Bender and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabella, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Boots to Grasses Therapeutic Horsemanship program was born when I saw a need in my home community. I was lucky enough to grow up with horses. I spent a large part of my childhood and teen years learning from and about the horses in my life. When I was 13, our family adopted a 6-8 year old boy from Haiti who came to us with many challenges – psychological, developmental, and medical. I believe this was the beginning of my call to work with the people in our community facing challenges. As I neared the end of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the therapeutic horsemanship field and attended Lake Erie College’s Equine Studies Program. While pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Equine Facilities Management, I simultaneously completed the training and testing to obtain my PATH International Certification in Therapeutic and Adaptive Riding. My therapeutic internship was completed at Fieldstone Farm in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. After my graduation, Fieldstone Farm hired me as an instructor. I learned many valuable lessons in education, inclusion, and leadership during my time there. However, I felt the pull to address the lack of therapeutic horsemanship opportunities in my home town area of Berlin Heights, Ohio. So, I accepted a position as a lead instructor for a therapeutic horsemanship program in Oberlin, Ohio. The owners/directors of that program decided to retire, dissolve their 501c-3, and donate their client list and assets to me. That was the opportunity and impetus I needed to begin the process of founding my own 501c-3 program! With the support of my parents and husband, we built our home farm into Boots to Grasses Therapeutic Horsemanship program in 2016. Our growth has been exponential, and we are so honored to work with an incredible team of volunteers who are the backbone of our program. Boots to Grasses is grateful to a number of foundations that have supported our growth with generous grants.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Boots to Grasses Therapeutic Horsemanship Program is a 501c-3 organization serving Erie County participants at our farm in Berlin Heights, Ohio. Therapeutic Horsemanship/EAAT – Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies – has provided social, educational, and recreational opportunities to individuals facing challenges for more than a century. By utilizing the special bond between humans and horses, Therapeutic Horsemanship can benefit participants of all ability levels. Boots to Grasses encourages participation of any person – regardless of age or challenge faced. Sessions are conducted in a private or group format by a PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certified instructor with a Bachelor’s of Science in Equine Studies and Therapeutic Horsemanship from Lake Erie College – in conjunction with trained volunteers.

EAAT – Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies- is a therapeutic modality that incorporates equine activities and/or the equine environment and complements other, more traditional, therapies. EAAT stimulates the entire body of the client. When involved with a horse, clients of all ages increase their self-esteem and enjoy the therapy. There is no “standard” set of exercises used in EAAT. Each client must be accomodated according to his or her specific condition. Various exercises are recommended to stimulate different body areas, organs, or muscle groups. The therapies require rhythm, dexterity, and contact. The exercise program undergoes continual adjustment depending on progress and medical conditions. At Boots to Grasses, therapeutic activities are considered in the same way as a “made to measure” tailored suit, specifically designed for each client’s requirements. The simple act of sitting on a horse provides a passive therapy. The horse’s body provides warmth and stabilization. Exercises are designed to combine active and passive elements. The passive input the horse provides through gait and pace translates into active neuro-muscular repositioning responses by the client. Body placement of the client on the horse and tack selection are also factors that influence the effectiveness of this active therapy. Developmental facets of EAAT offer clients a curriculum in occupational-type therapies on the back of the horse. Many times you will see developmental riders sitting backwards on their horse using the rump as a table: rolling out play-clay, working puzzles, using sewing cards and working on manipulative skills.

We are proud to be a certified provider for the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Our enrolled riders enjoy weekly horsemanship sessions on our Berlin Heights Farm. BtG also strives to provide further enrichment and bonding activities for our “BtG Family”! We provide much needed inclusive events with understanding and accommodations for our friends with different needs – such as: The BtG Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Camp, Fall Family Fest, Quarry Hill Apple Picking Adventure, movie theater trips, Christmas Cookie Decorating Extravaganza, the annual springtime visit to Equine Affaire in Columbus, and our always greatly anticipated Annual Field Trip!!! We are also happy to report that from 2017-2022 BtG has worked with Ability Works in which we train young adults/adults with challenges in barn and equine management. Our Ability Works Youth Groups spend 6 weeks with us each summer learning and working. The Ability Works Adult Groups visit once per week all year long to help in the barn and get in lots of horse hugs. The 2022 Annual Boots to Grasses Easter Egg Hunt welcomed 83 special egg hunters and their families for a ton of ability friendly fun! In addition, we shared our vision and/or collaborated with the Berlin Heights Historical Society, Nexxt Level Fit Academy, Firelands Hospital Auxiliary, Kiwanis, The Daughters of the American Revolution, VFW Post 2529-Sandusky, Castera Charles – Survive and Thrive, and the City of Sandusky Parks and Recreation Department. Measuring the joy, sense of accomplishment, and physical gains experienced by our clients is beyond calculation!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategies for growing our clientele have been networking and social media. Our Program Administrator, Laura Steuk-Mastropaolo, works tirelessly to build relationships with our community, media outlets, and businesses for the mutual benefit of all. Our daily presence on social media has been crucial. Keeping our followers updated with the goings-on at Boots to Grasses has generated more clients, donations, and opportunities.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We built our audience on social media by, first and foremost, daily posts. Daily activity on your social will definitely increase your online presence. Also researching productive hashtags and share has been very beneficial. Keep all your information UP TO DATE! New clients or donors are turned off when out dated/expired information is posted (for example, operating hours, special event times). Check your emails, PM’s and messages frequently!

Contact Info:

• Website: bootstograsses.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bootstograsses/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BootstoGrassesTherapeuticHorsemanshipProgram
• Other: TikTok – boots.to.grasses