Healing with Horses was created in 2010 as a non-profit organisation from a dream by its Founder and Director, Veronika Danzer LaFortune. With one horse rescued from the rain forest and a heart filled with love and hope, Ms. Danzer-LaFortune and her husband Lennon LaFortune created a place for children aged 6-12 from different backgrounds, with varying physical abilities and of different nationalities to come together to enjoy therapy and creative play.
After extremely successful summer camps, we realized the need to expand our activities to include weekly sessions on the grounds of Healing with Horses. We offer various schools and organizations the opportunity to participate in after-school activities, including arts and crafts, music, dance, yoga, nature walks, and gardening, with the exceptional experience of being with horses.
Our healthy herd of gentle rescue horses gives the children a way to experience a strong sense of bonding and affection, along with the physical benefits of strengthening and improved balance from horseback riding. Each child is given the opportunity to ride and spend time grooming and feeding at the stables.
The children are guided by the teachers and encouraged to be creative and expressive while enjoying being outdoors, surrounded by nature and the sea. We hold yoga classes on the cliff, overlooking the bay, and our gardens border the horse pasture by the sea. Each child enjoys physical activity, which is carefully monitored by the teachers and volunteers.
Veronika Danzer-LaFortune, the Founder of Being with Horses (BWH) and President of the charity organisation the Healing with Horses Foundation (HWH), is an Equine Nature Therapist and Artist. Along with her partner, Lennon LaFortune, and a team of dedicated volunteers and supporters, she has created integrated, educational community sessions and practical workshops where the participants are invited to express themselves through interactions with nature. Veronika travelled with a horse musical along the western coast of the USA and throughout several cities all over Europe. There, she performed, created costumes, and worked with special effects makeup. In 2006, she moved to Tobago, where she met her husband, and BWH and HWH were founded. Since then, HWH has adopted 20 equines. During 2011 – 2017, HWH ran a series of annual camps, designed for children and adolescents with a range of special needs. These camps were hugely successful and were supported by local and international interns and therapists from all over the globe. Since 2009, HWH has continued to offer free Equine Nature Therapy and programs aimed at improving the lives of those with special needs and supporting the Buccoo community. Many of the projects offered by HWH make use of natural and recycled materials, mindful of the surrounding area, with the aim of environmental protection. In 2015, Veronika wrote and published a book about her life and the development of BWH and HWH. As an International Entrepreneur, she encourages others to believe in the magic and mysticism of serendipity. In December 2023, the ministry of Germany handed over the highest award for community/ charity work, the Order of Merit, at the magical HWH park through the German ambassador, Dr. Eick.
Being with Horses is the sister experience of the Healing with Horses Foundation. Born from the same dream, the same herd, and the same belief that horses have the power to transform us.
Founded in 2007 by Veronika and Lennon La Fortune, Being with Horses is rooted in the philosophy of natural horsemanship -the idea that happy horses make happy riders, and that the relationship between human and horse must always begin with respect, space, and trust. The herd enjoys 14 hours of free roaming daily, swims in the ocean, grazes freely, and lives together as a true herd. They are not tools. They are teachers.
Here you learn to read a horse’s body language, to listen before you lead, and to let the animal mirror your own state of mind. In the presence of the herd, something shifts. The noise quiets. The body finds its balance. It is difficult to explain until you have felt it yourself.
I've spent most of my life neighboring the Healing with Horses foundation, and from attending their summer camps to leading the swim trail sessions, it's been a truly transformative journey. Here, I was able to learn important life skills such as leadership, patience, teamwork and innovation. The herd (inclusive of the cats and dogs) have become like family to me, and every time I come back to Tobago to visit, I make it my duty to drop by.
“You Send Me Flowers Of all things You do, the best are the Flowers growing from around You. From Mother Carmen and Elspeth Duncan, Holy Souls are countless. Great Directors, daily Volunteers, Jaziel, Jaheim, Lesli-Ann, Od, Lena and Nancy. Hannah-Rose and so on it goes Animals included certainly, Each year more blessed Souls Like Lennon and The Herd Faithful and forever Strong. The People, The Healing With Horses community, the Understanding, that is truly hard-working and inspiring, This triumph, I am always sincerely indebted. Thank You Dearest Veronika for the Love and Attention From Definition to Demonstration. Endless works of Admiration. At last Flowers that are of Hope and Power, Bloom in Buccoo and connect to the Consciencious all around the World. Yes, from the Holy Ocean may they keep Flowering and Overflowing. Aum”
Healing With Horses has become a place I naturally return to whenever I’m in Tobago. Over time, I’ve had the opportunity to help with grooming, walking, clipping, rinsing, handling, and caring for several of the horses, all with completely different personalities and temperaments. Working closely with horses like Princess Julie, Dulce Dama, Aphrodite, Sir Winston, Zimbu, Kalakunjin, Mr. Divo and Apollo taught me how much horses respond to calm energy, confidence, patience, and mutual respect. Some of the horses known for being more selective or difficult with handlers were surprisingly comfortable with me, which made the connections I built with them feel even more special. One of the most rewarding parts of being around the foundation has also been seeing nervous clients arrive afraid or uncertain, only to leave smiling after pushing past that fear and connecting with the horses. The herd really has a way of meeting people where they are. Once you approach them with respect and understanding, they often return that same energy right back to you. Healing With Horses is such a unique and welcoming environment, filled with experienced people who genuinely care for both the animals and the visitors. I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences, lessons, and connections I continue to build there.
We truly appreciate the support of our team, volunteers, and neighbours. Without them, the incredible work we do at HWH would not be possible. We say a huge thank you for their dedication.
