Our Clinicians and Staff

I can not thank the staff at Hold Your Horses enough! ... She is relaxed, happy & an attentive child when she is with you—she so looks forward to her riding time. Thank you!!!! Brenda, Client Parent

Janet Weisberg, MS OTR/L HPCS

Founding Director, Occupational Therapist

Molly DePrekel MA, LP

Adolescent & Adult Animal Assisted Therapy

Barbara Guy, MA LMFT

Clinic Manager, Therapist

Carissa Brandt, PsyD LP

Licensed Psychologist

Rachel White Robinson, OTR/L

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Sheryl Butler MA, OTR/L

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Sheryl provides Equine Facilitated Occupational Therapy and co-treatments with Mental Health Providers. Sheryl graduated from Georgetown University and got her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Saint Catherine University. During the school year …

Krystal Balster, OTR/L

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Kenz Becco

Operations Director, MS

Ruth Rovner

Office Manager

Ruth joined Hold Your Horses when it opened in 2006, serving as a Horse Handler for client sessions. In the fall of 2016, Ruth added the role of Office Manager. She has worked with adaptive riding programs as both volunteer and staff since 1997…

Leslie Davis

Equine Manager

Before coming to HYH in 2019, Leslie was a riding instructor/trainer and competed in three day eventing — mostly in her former home state of Colorado. She enjoys helping HYH fulfill its mission to move lives forward with the help of a horse, and witnessing how much our horses help our clients…

Lyle Uecker

Farm & Facility Specialist

Lindsay Shank

Farm & Horse Specialist

Lindsay joined Hold Your Horses in January of 2021. Before she could reach the stirrups, she was galloping down the road on her faithful steed. She comes with a lifetime of experience with horses…

Jenn Evans

Horse Specialist

Avery Deffner

Horse Handler

Talia Slovut

Horse Handler / Therapy Aide

Talia joined the Hold Your Horses team as a volunteer in 2019 and became a staff member in 2020. She has been horseback riding since she was eight years old and….

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How to find us.

(763) 498-0007‬

5265 Woodland Trail
Greenfield, MN 55357

Hours: 7am - 7pm

info@holdyourhorses.org

Hold Your Horses is a Minnesota nonprofit dedicated to moving lives forward from trauma and disability with the help of a horse.

Hold Your Horses

5265 Woodland Trail, Loretto, MN 55357, USA

Janet is the founding director of Hold Your Horses. A life- long horse woman, she became interested in therapy with horses while living in New York and working for a small PR firm. Seeing the possibilities of therapy with the help of a horse, Janet decided to change careers and go back to school for a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Rush University in Chicago, IL. In Minnesota Janet worked with We Can Ride for seven years and then founded Hold Your Horses in August 2006. In 2011, Janet guided HYH to become a nonprofit entity that offered therapy services that partnered with the horse to help move lives forward from trauma and disability. She welcomed other therapy practitioners to work in the practice and regularly supervises occupational therapy students. Janet is dedicated to supporting professionalism in Equine Assisted Therapies and has served on the board for the American Hippotherapy Association, is past editor of HIPPOTHERAPY magazine and served PATH, Intl through committee and task force work. Janet has two grown sons and lives with various pets and her extremely tolerant husband in Golden Valley, MN.

Molly DePrekel currently practices at the Midwest Center for Trauma and Emotional Healing and Hold Your Horses. She specializes in adolescents, adults,families and young women and uses the unique relationship people have with animals to assist her in therapy with clients for the past 28 years. She has practiced in hospitals, educational settings, mental health facilities, correctional sites, and outreach centers. She holds a certification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for the treatment of trauma and developmental wounds. Sensorimotor work involves the practice of somatic (body) work with clients. She is also certified in Yoga, Trauma yoga, EMDR and the AIR network model of trauma therapy. Molly is the past President of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) and is an EPONAQUEST approved instructor and has taught and facilitated workshops and trainings around the world. At Hold Your Horses she facilitates individual and group therapy as well as restorartive workshops for professionals and consultation for others who practice animal assisted interventions. Molly lives in Minneapolis with her dogs, Willow and Finnegan. Her Morgan horse Whisper assists at Hold Your Horses.

Barbara is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She holds a masters degree from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Barbara works with people across the lifespan, including adolescents who’ve experienced trauma and families struggling to cope with stress to address a variety of concerns including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and relationship challenges. She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. Barbara has been with Hold Your Horses since 2016 first as a volunteer and transitioned to a staff therapist in 2018 offering equine assisted counseling. She's passionate about her work with animals and the outdoors which offers such a different experience than office therapy.

Carissa is a licensed psychologist who joined Hold Your Horses in January 2022. She completed her doctoral degree in 2016 through Minnesota School of Professional Psychology. Carissa works with individuals ages 16+ who are struggling with life transitions, self-worth, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, among other challenges. She tends to take a collaborative and experiential approach to therapy, tailoring interventions to best meet personal needs and preferences. Carissa has found that the additional support from horses and nature often enhances the therapeutic process. She is beyond grateful for amazing animal (and human) assistants at HYH to help foster growth, healing, and emotional well-being. In her free time, Carissa enjoys horseback riding, spending time at the dog park, and traveling.

Rachel started at HYH as a therapy aide before returning as a licensed occupational therapist. She completed her masters degree from the University of Minnesota. Her occupational therapy fieldwork in school mental health instilled a strengths-based philosophy and interest in trauma-informed care. She was inspired in part by her Peace Corps service to change careers from journalism to occupational therapy. Rachel is a Twin Cities native and a lifelong animal lover. She is passionate about the healing power of the human-animal connection and the natural farm setting at HYH.

Sheryl has been working with clients at Hold Your Horses for the past four years. She provides Equine Facilitated Occupational Therapy and co-treatments with Mental Health Providers for clients with Trauma. Sheryl graduated from Georgetown University and got her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Saint Catherine University. During the school year, Sheryl works as an Occupational Therapist in Wayzata schools. Sheryl specializes in Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Trauma Based Interventions. Prior to joining Wayzata schools, Sheryl worked at Saint David's Family and Child Development Center in Minnetonka as an Occupational Therapist. There she worked in outpatient therapies, the Autism Day Treatment Program, and at community-based setting identifying and treating at-risk preschoolers. “I am beyond thrilled to finally be able to bring together all of the things I am most passionate about in life; horses, occupational therapy, trauma, and sensory processing disorder. Sheryl just started working on her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hopes to expand her skill set into developing programs for caregivers. Sheryl’s horse obsession began at age 7 when her mother volunteered her to take riding lessons with a neighborhood friend - she has been in love ever since.

Krystal Balster is an occupational therapist who joined the HYH team in 2021. Krystal graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2016 with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. She went on to earn her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of New England in Portland, Maine in 2019. Her passion for working with children with a variety of developmental challenges and background with horses led her to pursue using the horse as a treatment tool in her occupational therapy practice (hippotherapy). Krystal is currently working towards becoming Hippotherapy Certified by the American Hippotherapy Certification Board. She also works at Fairview as an OT serving the pediatric and adult populations. She lives in Maple Grove with her husband and two cats, Peach and Cheddar.

Kenz is an out-of-the-box strategist, who is skilled in curating meaningful experiences and designing efficient systems for teams and organizations. They have a M.S. from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and recent experience in nonprofit leadership for environmental and animal welfare issues. As a graduate student researching social capital in rural New England, Kenz spent time working on a goat farm, overseeing an off-the-grid homestead, and living in a remote cabin with their dog. Ever since, they have been inspired to help other people discover the healing power of nature and animals in their own lives. They are ecstatic to work with such a professional and compassionate team—first as a volunteer and now as the Director of Strategic Initiatives. In their free time, Kenz enjoys adventuring with their spouse and dogs, volunteering with animals, listening to podcasts, and contemplating systems of belonging.

Ruth joined Hold Your Horses when it opened in 2006, serving as a Horse Handler for client sessions. In the fall of 2016, Ruth added the role of Office Manager, and shortly after also took on the role of Property Manager. She has worked with adaptive riding programs as both volunteer and staff since 1997. As a Horse Handler, Ruth enjoys the fun and challenge of working with the varying personalities and quirks of the horses, and also loves the time with the clients. As Office Manager she enjoys interacting with the client families as well as supporting the HYH staff. In her role as Property Manager she leads an amazing team of volunteers and staff in keeping up with repairs and maintenance around the farm. On any given day you’ll find Ruth in the office, driving around on some farm equipment, doing a fix-it project in the barn, or spending time with her friend Ghost and the rest of the herd.

Before coming to HYH in 2019, Leslie was a riding instructor/trainer and competed in three day eventing -- mostly in her former home state of Colorado. She enjoys helping HYH fulfill its mission to move lives forward with the help of a horse, and witnessing how much our horses help our clients. As a child, Leslie was a typical horse loving girl whose only birthday wish every year was a pony. Being able to work with horses is still a dream come true every day. When not working with horses, she turns her attention to dogs and volunteers with Heart of a Border Collie Rescue and spends time training and hiking with her two Border Collies, Gavin and Boomer.

Lindsay joined Hold Your Horses in the role as the farm manager, January of 2021. Before she could reach the stirrups, she was galloping down the road on her faithful steed. She comes with a lifetime of experience with horses, sharing the butterfly principle. She believes that our beloved horses deliver kindness and strength, creating an abundant affect that we can further reflect onto one another. With her personal experience, her skills brought her down the path of leadership and professionally working in the equine industry for over 10 yrs. Her love of the great outdoors is shared with her equine friends. If she's not on their back, you'll find her scootin' around on the bobcat and managing the property.

Talia joined the Hold Your Horses team as a volunteer in 2019 and became a staff member in 2020. She has been horseback riding since she was eight years old and has been competing in the hunters. Talia plans on studying Occupational Therapy in college and one day hopes to work at a therapeutic riding barn.