About the Film

A Horse for the Soul (AHFTS) is a 14 minute documentary illustrating the power of horses to touch and nurture the soul. The documentary follows six individuals who find joy and healing through their relationships with a horse and is filmed at equine assisted therapy centers in Colorado and Arizona and the Wild Horse Inmate Program at the State Prison in Florence, AZ.

This film began life in Boulder, Colorado when Paula Shannon was in 8^th grade and it became a four-year family odyssey that included a successful Kickstarter fundraiser. Paula teamed up for AHFTS with her sister Camila who previously made a horse rescue documentary. Finishing touches were realized 4 years later after teaming up with Wild Asperagus Productions for the Arizona footage and final editing.

Equine assisted therapy is changing the lives of people from all walks of life. Whether it’s people with disabilities, veterans with PTSD, or people struggling with mental health, addiction, or trauma, interactions with horses can pave the way for healing and growth by challenging them to look at themselves and the world in a new way. Horses have a profound power to heal by helping people process their emotions, live in the present moment, develop confidence, learn to trust, and connect with themselves and others. In addition to the emotional benefits, equine assisted therapy can also offer those with disabilities an opportunity to gain a sense of control over their bodies.

A Horse for the Soul tells the story of several individuals whose lives have been changed by therapy with horses. It features the Wild Horse Inmate Program in Florence, AZ,  Medicine Horse Program and Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, two organizations near Boulder, Colorado that provide Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies.

Meet the Filmmakers

Ever since their first pony ride in Davie, Florida, Camila and Paula Shannon have been obsessed with horses and this documentary became their way to share that magic.

Paula Shannon is the producer. She’s now a senior in high-school in Boulder, Colorado and is planning to study psychology in college.

Camila Shannon co-directed.  In 2015, Camila’s first film, I Can Save This Horse, received several awards from a number of film festivals, including the Ft Lauderdale International Film Festival and CINE Golden Eagle Awards in the youth categories.

John Schaffer co-directed with Camila. He primarily makes short documentaries about topics that he is passionate about. Most have been related to disability issues but he has also told stories about climate change and wildfire science. John’s work as a disability studies university professor keeps him involved with the disability community while his love of nature and living in Flagstaff, Arizona keeps him informed about environmental issues. John has made 4 film festival short documentaries including 2 that have received multiple awards.

“My first realization was that we needed to cut all the experts out of the film. They had some great interviews, including Temple Grandin (who is a rockstar in the autism community) , but I felt the movie really needed to just focus on the participants and their connection to horses and the ways that horses have helped them overcome various things in their lives. We shot two additional subjects and Eric, Paula and Camila allowed me to cut the movie as I thought best. It turned out to be a great collaboration largely because we all shared the same fundamental message we wanted in the film, that is, that horses and humans have a very special relationship.” -John Schaffer

Eric Shannon was our production coordinator.

Our Subjects

Lee Buric is, coincidentally, a documentary filmmaker and broadcast journalist. She was first introduced to the Medicine Horse Program in Boulder, Colorado, when she suffered a traumatic head injury. To recover her awareness, balance, and proprioception, she did equine-assisted Gestalt therapy with a therapist named Joan. She is currently in production on Inertia, a film about a team of atmospheric physicists working on mitigation techniques for rising ocean temperatures due to climate change. 

Before turning one, Grace was diagnosed with Leukemia and underwent two years of chemo, two relapses, many hospital stays, an epilepsy diagnosis, radiation, a bone marrow transplant, and over 70 blood transfusions. When seizures made it too hard to follow her passion of dancing, Grace found the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC) in Longmont, Colorado. At the CTRC, Grace fell in love with Ozzie, a gentle ex-police horse. She loves riding because it gives her a sense of independence and it allows her to spend time with Ozzie. According to Grace, riding Ozzie is her life.