Born To Nurture

By Jeff Jacomowitz

Catherine S. Fortier has always said that her calling in life is to nurture. She said it is something that she has felt from deep within and it's a power that drives her down such an amazing road from childhood to today. Born in Corning, New York, Ms. Fortier is the founder of Tender Grace Miniature Horse Therapy, a not for profit Western New York organization that is designed to bring miniature horses into nursing homes and visit with residents. Located in the Steuben County town of Tuscarora, New York, just 54 miles south of Rochester and a population of nearly 1,500 people, her organization is an official 501(c)(3) charitable organization along with eight volunteers and they have already brought miniature horse Sarah to visit the Corning Center and Steuben Center, both facilities are members of the Centers Health Care family.

Centers Health Care has been one of today's largest continuum of nursing homes and rehabilitation centers who have an extremely active miniature horse therapy program. Serving 25 of their 42 facilities thus far, Centers' "Happy Horse Visit" program is growing fast, working with a total of six horse handlers currently but Fortier has been the newest handler to work with Centers Health Care.

"Catherine has a dynamic personality and it's no secret that what she does with these miniature horses she loves," said Gayle Kirschenbaum, Corporate Director of Recreation Services at Centers Health Care. "When Catherine brings Sarah into our Corning and Steuben Center, the place really lights up with love and laughter."

You can say that all horse trainers are caring and love their horses but Catherine Fortier is not like your typical horse handler. How many horse handlers actually have a nursing degree? Being a wife and mother of three says it all.

"After raising three children, the empty nest was just too quiet," said Fortier. "We went from two dogs to four dogs and then added two Icelandic horses. Later on, I bred my mare for a total of three."

Then it all happened in January when Fortier decided to rescue a miniature horse so that her granddaughter would have one to grow up with. Her niece, an equestrian, sent her a link to a woman who does miniature horse therapy. While researching this line of work, her nurturing personality took over and she felt that starting her own miniature horse therapy organization was indeed a calling. The next month, Fortier purchased a therapy trained miniature horse and a seven-month-old miniature to train on her own. That's not all. She then flew to Savannah, Georgia to take a seminar with Kate Bashor of Legacy of Hope Initiative who gave her the tools that she needed to get started. Fortier then purchased a third miniature horse from Ms. Bashor that she trained and later purchased a three-month-old mature 26-27 inch "mini mini" horse in Iowa that will be delivered in April 2018 after she completes training.

"If someone told me back in 1984 when I graduated from Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Syracuse that I'd be raising mini-horses 33 years from now, I would think they were absolutely mad," said Fortier. "With the support from my husband Chris, my kids Molly, Colin and Abbey, and my granddaughter Teagan, they have been there with me every step of the way."

Catherine Fortier had worked in pediatrics for six years and was certified in that field. She also worked in labor and delivery for five years and occupational health for 20 years with Corning Inc. but she jumped into horse therapy with both feet.

"Even though I love animals, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I'd be doing this," Fortier laughs. "As a little girl, my family moved around the world as my father worked for Corning Inc., which was then Corning Glass Works. We lived in New York, Michigan, Indiana, Romania and Poland, so life teaches you that it's never to late to fulfill your calling. Bringing people these mini horses is who I am."

Tender Grace Miniature Horse Therapy has been doing visits for about a month and the response has been overwhelming. Fortier says that they are putting a team together to walk in the Walk For Wishes®, is a nationwide Make-A-Wish® fundraiser.

"We have offered our service to Make-A-Wish and they are excited to form a partnership with us," said Fortier. "The dream that I have of serving others seems to keep morphing and I am now working with some teen girls to teach them training techniques and helping to increase their confidence. My hope for them is to make nursing home visits with us and learn to see beyond the wrinkles."