PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – The horses are the healers at a treatment centre in southern Manitoba.
Roy and Candice Kontzie bought a rural property near Portage la Prairie four years ago with plans to create a facility where people could relax and enjoy the quiet country atmosphere and their horses.
They had no idea how busy they would become.
As they talked with visitors, Candice Kontzie said she realized that there are “lots of needful people out there.”
She began to develop equine-assisted personal development programs to help them, focusing on children and teenagers.
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Today, Roycan’s Country Haven works with children in care, cancer patients and their families, people who are grieving, those dealing with the emotions from residential schools, adults coping with addictions, teens in trouble and others who have suffered loss or trauma.
Not much riding is involved because most people who come to the Haven have no experience with horses. They first learn to groom and handle the animals.
Don Middleton of Prairie Therapy Service learned about Roycan’s Country Haven through his private practice. He now teams with Kontzie several times a week to work with clients, using the horses as healers and listeners.
He said the horses help clients gain self-confidence and a sense of direction, often learning to give and receive unconditional love for the first time. The serenity of the Haven allows them to acquire new skills with which to face their problems and challenges.
Middleton is also the oncology therapist for Central Plains Cancer Care Services, serving residents of 72 rural communities in the area. For 11 years, he has worked with CancerCare Manitoba to conduct the Kids Can Cope program, now offered up to four times a year at Roycan’s Country Haven.
