For some Inland Northwest seniors, a visit from Spokane Mounted Patrol can send them on a trip down memory lane.

“A lot of people like to bury their noses in the horse’s neck and take a deep smell,” says Julianne Hirsch, a board member and volunteer with the community outreach program. “They love that horse smell. Those are usually people who’ve had horses in their past.”

Spokane Mounted Patrol is a volunteer organization of about 55 members that performs community outreach by bringing horses to senior centers, parks, parades, Police Activities League events, and other gatherings.

Hirsch is in charge of coordinating visits with senior living communities. Her three Norwegian Fjord mares — Beylah, Dolly, and Claire — are all part of Spokane Mounted Patrol.

A typical visit to a senior living center involves two horses and a handful of volunteers from Spokane Mounted Patrol. Hirsch and the other volunteers unload the horses, bring them to a designated visiting area, and introduce them, including their names and breeds, what they’re used for, and some fun facts about each horse. Spokane Mounted Patrol has trading cards for each of its horses that people can collect and share.

The seniors then have an opportunity to ask their own questions about the horses. Afterward, they’re invited to pet the horses and take photos.

“It provides a lot of joy and novel experience in their lives, which sometimes can be pretty routine,” says Hirsch.

Inland Northwest senior living communities Spokane Mounted Patrol has visited recently include Avista Senior Living Spokane, Legacy Court Senior Living, Maplewood Gardens, South Hill Village, Touchmark on South Hill, and more, Hirsch says.

The visits provide seniors with social opportunities, Hirsch explains.

“Sometimes, senior living can be pretty insular,” she says. “When volunteers come, they have new people to talk to, new people to share their experiences with.”

Interacting with horses is also good for memory recall, she says.

“A lot of people remember things from their childhood that they haven’t thought about in a long time,” says Hirsch.

She recalls one elderly man who held her horse’s lead during an entire visit.

“He came up to Dolly, stood there, and studied her for the longest time, stroking her face and her muzzle and just looking into her eyes,” Hirsch says. 

The man held onto Dolly’s lead rope, but it was difficult because of his arthritis, says Hirsch, who could tell he was familiar with handling horse leads. The man told Hirsch he was a retired rancher who owned a few horses, and he missed holding their leads.

“It was really heartwarming to be able to provide that experience for him,” says Hirsch.

That type of experience is part of why Hirsch volunteers with Spokane Mounted Patrol.

“It’s immensely rewarding to bring that much joy into another person’s life. We all love our horses, and we all know how much joy they bring us,” says Hirsch. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to share that with another person.”

Many first-time volunteers get emotional over how enthusiastic people are to see their horses.

“There’s plenty of tears,” says Hirsch.

Visits with Spokane Mounted Patrol typically are scheduled for two hours. The organization only conducts visits in June, July, and August, says Hirsch, who adds that September can be a little cold for some seniors.

Hirsch often schedules senior living visits by reaching out to the facilities’ activity coordinators. She says the program continues to grow.

“I have never had anyone say, ‘No, we don’t want you to come,’ and often they want to make sure that they're on the call list for next summer,” says Hirsch.