About Us
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 Kornblith, Founder & Executive Director
Founder Polly Kornblith is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) with a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Polly's career in the field of education began in 1981 and includes involvement in animal-assisted therapy for the past 10+ years.
Samantha Bruha, Equine Manager & Instructor
Sam is a passionate, action-oriented graduate of the Pre-Veterinary Sciences program at UMASS Amherst. Sam is also a certified Massachusetts riding instructor who will be teaching lessons at Horse SenseAbility in her "spare time." Best of all, Sam has a long history with our very own Diesel, who she rode in her youth!
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.
Cindy Conquest, Instructor
Cindy has worked for 15+ years with riders of all ages and abilities from Arkansas to Australia (and many places in between!). Cindy enjoys using horseback riding to help her students improve self-confidence, interpersonal skills and executive functions. Cindy has her Master's degree in Education and is bilingual in Spanish. Cindy is also a certified Massachusetts riding instructor.
Heather Donovan, 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, 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.
Elizabeth Shealy, Instructor & Physical Therapist
Elizabeth is a board-certified Physical Therapist with a specialty in pediatrics and qualifications in Neurodevelopmental Therapy. Most of her 30+ year career has been working with children with special needs in a school setting. Elizabeth completed a certification with the American Hippotherapy Association 5 years ago to be able to incorporate the movement of the horse (hippotherapy) in her treatment strategy. Elizabeth is a PATH-certified adapted riding instructor as well as a licensed riding instructor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Lisa Slawsby, Equine Specialist
Lisa is a PATH-certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) who is pursuing certification as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Lisa has been a Stable Moments mentor since its inception at Horse SenseAbility and also manages the Wildstar Wranglers program.
Lauren Weitz, 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 luck 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!
Our Board of Directors
Our Location
Horse SenseAbility is located at:
16 Nason Hill Lane
Sherborn, MA 01770
Note that Wildstar Farm is on Nason Hill Lane not Nason Hill Road.
Contact Us
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