EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Residents at The Legacy at Cimarron will get an up-close visit from horses and dogs on Wednesday as two animal-therapy groups bring hands-on interaction to the senior living community in West El Paso.

KNJ Therapeutic Riding and Paws Down Best Dog Training are scheduled to visit The Legacy at Cimarron, 6201 Northern Pass Dr., at 10:30 a.m.

KNJ Therapeutic Riding will bring horses for residents to see, pet and connect with, while Paws Down Best Dog Training will showcase dogs performing tricks and invite residents to pet them.

The visit is part of The Legacy at Cimarron’s ongoing effort to provide meaningful sensory experiences for assisted living and memory care residents.

Our residents light up when the animals arrive,” said April Kendrick, memory care director at The Legacy at Cimarron. “Watching someone who rarely speaks reach out to pet a horse is something you never forget.

Jacob Boggs, executive director, said the event gives residents a chance to interact directly with the horses. “So what we’re doing is we are having our residents entertained by K&J therapeutic horses,” Boggs said. “And they just come out, bring the horses out, and let them eat from their hands and get to pet them and just have some interaction with the animals.”

Boggs said horses visit about once a year, while dogs visit more often. “So the horses come about once a year, but we have other animals that come,” he said. “There’s a lot of therapy dogs.” He added, “There’s actually Border Patrol dogs that come out here,” and said the community has dogs visit “every month.”

He said the animal visits provide stimulation and a change of pace for residents. “I mean, they need the stimulation. They need the interaction. They need to be outside,” Boggs said. “They need to interact with other animals just for their overall well-being and mental health.” He added, “I think the big thing is just interacting with the animals, just being outside and petting them and enjoying them. It’s just something different. Get some out of the routine.”

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Lenora Southerland, program director of KNJ Therapeutic Riding, said the benefits of equine therapy can be significant for seniors and meaningful for the horses, too.

“For seniors, caring for a 1,200-pound animal restores a sense of agency and confidence. It reminds them that they are still capable of nurturing and leading,” Southerland said. “It’s a powerful way for seniors to reconnect with nature, their bodies, and their sense of purpose. It’s not just about riding — it’s about the unique bond formed between human and horse. They are providing so much to our horses by just sitting, grooming, and giving treats. That one-on-one connection is something horses thrive on. We are truly the ones that are blessed by the seniors.”

In a separate message, Southerland said, “A quick little stat that we have just by grooming a horse reduces anxiety at 20%.”

The Legacy at Cimarron said research supports the therapeutic value of human-animal interaction for older adults, including reduced anxiety, improved mood and enhanced social engagement, particularly for people living with memory-related conditions.

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