Katie Fallon

Katie Fallon is taking the equine therapy world by storm.

At Bridle Paths in Leesburg, Katie Fallon helps people grow and learn about how they can connect with horses to learn about themselves.

Fallon wants to help clients learn about how their non-verbal communication can be a powerful tool in how they interact with the world.  Bridle Paths was started by Fallon and uses horses to teach those struggling with emotional or psychological challenges how to use non-verbal communication.

“Any number of animal interactions can be therapeutic,” Fallon said. “[There are] two critical things about horses that are different from most other animals: one is the fact that they are prey animals. They are by instinct exquisitely attuned to their surroundings. They’re also herd animals, so they’re inherently relational.”

Fallon’s daughter was born with hydrocephalus, and has in turn had four brain surgeries. While staying home with her young daughter, Fallon was involved with a therapeutic horseback-riding program. Fallon’s daughter began riding at a young age and her first spoken word was the name of the horse she was riding at the time.

Inspired by her daughter’s emotional connection with the horse, Fallon began to become even more involved with the therapeutic riding program, which “spurred” the founding of her company: Bridle Paths.