GIG HARBOR--A gentle nuzzle from a horse’s muzzle was all it took for Erin Mildenberger to feel her anxiety melt away.
Standing in the courtyard outside the gym at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), Mildenberger extended her hand as one of five horses brought to the facility for the day sniffed her fingers before leaning in. Around her, small groups of women eagerly gathered with the animals, petting and brushing them, talking to them and offering blades of grass to snack on.
The usual sounds of a prison—electric doors shutting, people shuffling in hallways and announcements being blared on speakers--seemingly melted away that drizzly March morning. In their places were playful horse air vocalizations (known as nickers), quiet laughter and a sense of tranquility.
“The rhythmic motion of petting a horse is very therapeutic,” Mildenberger said. “I walked in here today with a high level of anxiety not knowing what this was going to entail but the moment I met that horse and saw how calm it was, it reduced my anxiety down. It was like the animal knows you. It was like it actually saw through my soul.”
Healing Through Connection
For many people who are incarcerated, life before prison has been shaped by trauma—often marked by instability, abuse, or survival in constant fight-or-flight mode. That heightened state doesn’t simply disappear once someone is incarcerated. Instead, it can continue to affect how individuals process emotions, respond to stress and interact with others.
That’s where programs like equine therapy can make a difference.
The session at WCCW was hosted in partnership with HeartStrides Therapeutic Horsemanship, an organization in Thurston County that uses horse interactions to help individuals build emotional awareness, regulation and trust.
“The horse exercise is teaching them how to be authentic, to listen to their bodies and familiarize themselves with their emotions and regulate those emotions so they can make better decisions,” said Kristy Dees, Founding Director of HeartStrides.
Dees said the lessons horses offer are rooted in honesty and presence.
“What I learned from horses is I’ve got to show up for myself first. You show up for yourself and try to be your most authentic and you own what you’re feeling and then the horse can relax and trust you,” she said. “If you are lying to yourself or faking your way through something, they’ll be like ‘that doesn’t feel safe’, so they ask us to show up and be present with our own selves.”
From Personal Experience to Community Impact
Dees’ work is deeply personal. She says she grew up in a home affected by alcoholism and abuse and understands the long-term impacts of trauma many of her client's experience.
“The body keeps score and sometimes it’s our bodies that have lost track and the horses can pick up on it,” Dees said.
She founded HeartStrides in 2011 after witnessing the effect horses had on her daughter, Magn, who was born with Down syndrome. After struggling to help her daughter develop movement skills, Dees turned to therapeutic horseback riding. What she saw was transformative—her daughter left her first session more confident, engaged and expressive.
That moment became the foundation for what would grow into a broader mission.
While Heart Strides began by serving individuals with disabilities, the organization has grown to support people navigating trauma, addiction, mental health challenges and recovery. Today, it partners with community organizations to reach justice-involved youth, families, veterans and others in need of support.
Creating Space for Healing
The connection between the HeartStrides program and the prison began through Correctional Program Manager Sonja Alley, who previously attended a staff retreat and training at Dees’ Healing Hearts Ranch.
Alley said the experience left a lasting impression on staff.
“It’s really important for staff to understand what we’re doing, and it was some of the best training that they had ever experienced,” Alley said.
She emphasized that initiatives like this support the Department of Corrections’ commitment to trauma-informed and gender-responsive care—both for those who are incarcerated and for staff working in high-stress environments.
Alley, who grew up working around horses, has long understood their calming presence.
“They’re so therapeutic. They’re such beautiful animals,” she said.
Watching the session unfold in the courtyard was powerful.
“The experience has been profound and magical for these women,” Alley said. “Smiles and tears of happiness—that’s what it’s about. I have an opportunity to bring experiences and programs that are life changing and be able to touch these people’s lives.”
The single equine assisted learning session at the Washington Corrections Center for Women was made possible through a community donation to HeartStrides. Alley said she’d love to have more horse therapy events at the prison, but amid current statewide budget constraints, it’s not an option right now. However, the department is exploring funding pathways such as grants.
The women spent the rest of the afternoon rotating between horses, stroking their muzzles and leading them across the yard.
Mildenberger says it’s beneficial to have animals inside a prison, noting that she has also participated in the prison’s cat adoption program where incarcerated individuals care for kittens from a local cat rescue until they’re ready for adoption.
“You’re no longer an incarcerated individual, and you’re no longer just a number,” Mildenberger said. “They’re sending that you’re an actual human being who is there to take care of them and it’s very nourishing for the soul.”
HeartStrides is a registered charitable organization participating in the Wahington State Combined Fund Drive. Visit the HeartStrides website to learn more about their programs and impact.
