News and Events

Gersh Academy Hauppauge’s Campus Welcomes Shane

We are very pleased to welcome our newest “teacher”, Dunkashane (“Shane”), a 17 year old Belgium Draft/ Quarter horse.  Mrs. McKenna, Hauppauge’s art teacher, has had Shane as a family pet for over 10 years.  He is also a show horse, performing with Mrs. McKenna on "The Spirit of Long Island" Mounted Drill Team.  Shane is the perfect candidate to become a therapy horse and his gentle nature is sure to complement our students’ needs.

The goal of the horse therapy program is to provide our students the opportunity to connect with and build a trusting relationship with Shane.  Equine Therapy teaches companionship, responsibility, leadership, vocational and educational skills. Building a relationship with an animal is very rewarding in many aspects; the trust and loyalty of an animal helps build self-esteem and self-worth, which transfer to personal relationships. Therefore a very social activity becomes less daunting and more beneficial to people who tend to be uncomfortable in social situations.

We are one of the first Special Education schools to open our doors to this type of therapy and we hope to make this program part of our yearly curriculum with the support from our parents and community. As part of our continued commitment to enhance the lives and education of your children, we are happy to introduce Shane and an experience our students will never forget.