About Us

Polly Kornblith walking with Hugo the horse and a child

Our Story

Horse SenseAbility grew out of founder Polly Kornblith’s passions for working with kids at-risk and for being with animals. Polly decided to combine her love of horses with her interest in the healing power of horses for those who have experienced trauma.

In 2018, Polly took this vision to the next level and launched Horse SenseAbility in a brand new facility specifically designed and built for therapeutic riding and horsemanship activities. Horse SenseAbility is proud to be a member center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH).

Polly is a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and also an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She also has a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University.

Meet our animal partners

Sam Bruha, Riding Instructor & Equine Manager

Sam Bruha has been an avid rider since she was 4 and has been a proverbial "barn rat" ever since. As our Equine Manager, Sam is responsible for all aspect of our horses' care and training. Sam also teaches over 30 students each week on school-day afternoons and Saturdays. Sam and her horse Denver are working on getting their Bronze Medal in dressage riding.

Ilana Casady, Occupational Therapist

Ilana Casady, MSOTR/L, HPCS is a Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist, a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI), and a licensed Massachusetts instructor. She received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University while her equestrian training began as a child competing on the Hunter/Jumper show circuit. Ilana worked in Early Intervention for many years before raising her own children. Ilana was featured in Jeff Corwin’s “Pets and People Special” on the Discovery Channel and has coached at the Special Olympics multiple years.

Cassie Clarke, Wildstar Wrangler Instructor

Cassie is a MA Licensed Riding Instructor, a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and a PATH Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. Cassie fell in love with horses when she was 4 and has been riding ever since! Cassie loves sharing her passion and enjoys seeing the deep impactful relationship that naturally develops between horse and human. Cassie’s favorite part about teaching is helping her students reach their highest potential; their smiles are always the best part of her day!

Heather Donovan, Horse Tales Instructor

Heather has been a life long lover of both horses and literacy. She believes that when the two are combined they can create a fun yet meaningful experience. When she is not teaching or riding, she is likely hiking with her dogs.

Audrey Kung, Riding & City to Saddle Instructor

Audrey is a licensed Massachusetts riding instructor as well as a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI). She is also working towards her Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) and Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor certifications from PATH. Audrey's teaching style encompasses her keen curiosity to constantly learn and try to understand the "what," "why," and "how" of things. She is always eager to learn something new from her students.

Alyson Langhorst, Wildstar Wranglers Instructor

Alyson is the newest member of our team. She majored in psychology with a concentration in mental health services in college and is now pursuing certification as a licensed mental health counselor. Alyson rode for 11 years and is looking forward to being back at the barn.

Wendy Mechaber, Horse Tales Instructor

After a career teaching biology at the secondary and college level, Wendy returned to school to earn a Certificate of Advanced Study in Literacy and Language at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. As a newcomer in the horse world, Wendy has delighted in learning and teaching about famous and unusually talented equines such as Snowman and Big Jim Key.

Lisa Terrell, City to Saddle Instructor

Lisa has loved horses since the moment that she knew what they were. She graduated from Morven Park International Equitation Institute in 1981 and since then has managed various barns, ridden with a variety of trainers, attended many clinics and never stopped learning. Lisa rode her 1st dressage horse Indy to 4th level and continues competing to this day.

Partners

Lauren Weitz, Horse Tales & City to Saddle Instructor

Lauren Weitz has years of experience working in the health wellness and fitness industry. She not only is a certified Massachusetts riding instructor but competes in multiple equestrian disciplines.

Our Partners

We believe and treat our horses and other animals as our partners. The benefits of spending time with these incredible beings cannot be overstated and we are lucky to have them in our lives.

Click the < and > arrows on the sides to meet all of our animals.

Calli

Our very first horse, Calli is a Thoroughbred who raced for 3 years on the Eastern seaboard. She’s 23 years old and 16 hands tall. Calli is the princess of Wildstar. She adores being pampered in every way—grooming, muzzle trimming, glitter pedicures, massages, braiding—you name it, she loves it!