Horses Over America
Horses Over America
By Rosalie Triolo
Photo courtesy of Lt. Col. Gerry Scott
A man, a horse, a dog, and a commitment. Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Scott Retired US Army Reserve, and Infantry Officer, is the founder of the “Horses Over America” program. While serving in the US Army he was assigned to command one of its three horse units of 20 horses, 10 of which were Lipizzaner.
Lt. Col. Scott describes his horse, Hercules, a 17.3 hand Friesian, as “100% Dutch, stunningly calm, sweet and stable.” Hercules was 7 years old when Scot brought him from the state of Georgia to his home in Saco, Maine. Retired from the Army for 28 years, he has owned seven horses of different breeds. He has had the honor of riding in a military exchange program with the Queen’s Household Cavalry and has ridden in burial ceremonies for America’s Fallen Heroes at the National Cemetery.
Aware of the increasing daily effects of hopelessness and helplessness on many members of our society, both the young and the old, especially during the recent pandemic, the increase in senseless shootings, suicides, drug overdoses, and for some the total feeling of loneliness, Scott believes horses are a therapeutic animal who can be and are effective in making a difference in people’s lives. He calls it “horse therapy.” With his horse, Hercules, and Molly, his Yellow Lab, Scott has visited nursing homes, veterans’ homes, hospitals, cancer treatment centers, schools in towns from Maine to New Hampshire and Vermont and has seen the growing need for mental health services. He doesn’t want people to think of him as someone “just riding a horse down a Main Street in their town with his dog running alongside. He wants people to see a man, a horse and a dog riding in harmony.”
Scott has the foresight, sagacity, and the determination to put forth a plan. His goal is to develop a national partnership with police departments and police chiefs in the more than 15,000 municipalities across America with the help of the 2.1 million horse owners and 10 million horses throughout America. He has adopted 10 towns, which he regularly visits – Wolfeboro being one of them. But he is one man with one horse and one dog. He cannot do this by himself. Horses Over America is a non-profit 501c3 organization. Scott said, “If supported, we can reach between 50% to 75% of towns in America. I am maxed out with 10 towns and work six days a week for no pay.”
Scott visits Wolfeboro quite often. He related a story regarding his visit to Wolfeboro’s Kingwood Middle School, which took place several weeks before school closed for summer vacation. “When I arrived, teachers brought out one group of students at a time for 20 minutes.” I asked, “How many of you have never been on a horse? Several children raised their hands. Those were the children I chose to put up on Hercules. It made those children who had never experienced sitting atop a horse remarkably happy as well as parents who were there. A little gesture to delight a child and make both children and parents smile. I don’t believe in magic if such a thing exists, but when riding down the street in a parade and sitting in a wheelchair on the side is an old gentleman looking up at me and my horse, I’ll look down at him and say, “My horse is looking for a girlfriend. That elderly face turns into a child’s bright smile. Every time I go to Wolfeboro, I make it a point to visit one little girl. The happiness it brings her to see and touch Hercules is worth the time.” This year many of you may have seen Scott riding Hercules with Molly running alongside in both the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades.
Scott praised Pat Waterman, Wolfeboro’s Town Clerk. “She has been so supportive of the Horses Over America program and helps me in any way she can. She embraces the program. Parents have sent her letters asking when Hercules will be coming back to town.” Scott has visited Huggins Hospital on Main Street in Wolfeboro and said, “Fifty-percent of the employees will spend their lunchtime to come outside to pet Molly, admire Hercules and chat with me. Also, I plan on spending more time at the Genesis Health Care Center and am going back at some point in the near future.
“Recently, I rode Hercules right into a restaurant in Portland, Maine and tied him to the door in an open area. Since I know the owner, I was welcomed.” Scott went on to say, “The patrons could not believe their eyes and came up to me to talk about, my horse, and Horses Over America program.”
Lt. Col. Scott has a goal and encourages horse owners across America to participate in this program, strongly believing it will make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. Horses Over America can be more successful than it already is when police departments and the chiefs of police are and will be equal partners with horse owners in this worthwhile effort. As he said, “This program will not only help those individuals with mental and emotional health problems but will strengthen and aid in police department reform programs by giving them an asset.”
Horse owners who adopt a town, will only have to volunteer their time with a police department for eight hours a day between three to five days a year depending upon the size and needs of the town. It is an important way of bringing communities together to understand and address those in need of mental health services and to support and assist in police reform. Scott has adopted 10 towns and tries to visit each one of them, but he is only one person and cannot achieve the goals by himself.
During 2021, Lt. Col. Scott visited Wolfeboro for the town’s annual Memorial Day Parade. Scott, his horse Hercules and his dog Molly were greeted by many of the townspeople and visitors. As Dean Rondeau, Police Chief of Wolfeboro, said, “Horses Over America has proved to be a great mental health program for the Town of Wolfeboro. Together we visited our schools, Huggins Hospital, our nursing homes, and the entire town were invited to meet them at the town docks where Scott’s beautiful horse Hercules swam in Lake Winnipesaukee and Molly did too. We will definitely want to continue this.”
A few comments from several police chiefs throughout the State of Maine who are working with Horses Over America include: The police chief of Kennebunk, Maine said, “It would be a great asset to every police department if they could have a Horses Over America team to count on…” The police chief of Bath, Maine expressed his feelings, “The experience we had in Bath with ‘HOA’ was exactly what our community needed…” Brunswick, Maine’s police chief is pleased to have an officer who brought her horse, as did another community member. “We took three horses to visit several nursing homes, neighborhoods and most of the downtown merchants.” And in Saco, Maine a police officer has already been assigned to Horses Over America. She added, “It has a positive psychological effect on hundreds/thousands of people it can touch in one day.”
For more information on “Horses Over America” visit www.horsesoveramerica.org. Photos in the media gallery of horses and trainers, or with police officers visiting the housebound elderly, economically disadvantaged neighborhoods (children and adults alike with smiles of joy). Horse trainers’ statements and the reaction of delight and happiness these magnificent horses bring to the young and those who are the young at heart.
Part of Horses Over America’s mission statement is simple yet so appropriate. A quote from one of America’s most popular and beloved cowboys, Roy Rogers, “The best thing for the inside of a person is the outside of a horse.”
And as Lt. Col. Scott added, “Outside of a horse means working with them every day which forces you to be outside.”