‘Horse Teacher’ Runs... Korea Racing Authority Busan Gyeongnam Operates ‘Horse Therapy’ in Connection with Local Hospitals

Utilizing Equine Industry Resources for Social Contribution Projects

Agreement with 5 Hospitals, Healing and Health Management through Horses

Are you familiar with ‘Holsterapy’?

A project utilizing horses for patient healing is being promoted. The Korea Racing Authority and local hospitals have joined forces for patients in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions.

The Korea Racing Authority Busan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters (Head: Song Daeyoung) announced on the 17th that on the 14th at 2 p.m., a business agreement was signed at LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam with participation from hospitals in the Busan and Gyeongnam areas to jointly promote the ‘Holsterapy’ project.

Holsterapy (Horse therapy) is a treatment method where people and ‘horses’ interact to emotionally connect, providing psychological benefits such as emotional stability and stress relief experienced during the process.

Although somewhat unfamiliar in Korea, it is widely used as a natural therapy method in North America and Europe. The Holsterapy program conducted at LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam helps participants recover mentally and physically by leisurely walking with horses or enjoying tea.

At the agreement ceremony, attendees included Song Daeyoung, Head of the Korea Racing Authority Busan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters; Seo Deokwoong, CEO of Busan Senior Specialized 3rd Hospital; Jung Geun, Group Director of On Hospital Group; Shin Jinkyu, Chief Director of Hansarang Hospital; and Bang Seonhui, Director of Whirim Korean Medicine Hospital. They pledged multilateral cooperation and agreed to establish a joint fund of 30 million KRW.

The joint fund will be used to operate Holsterapy and support treatment costs for patients facing financial difficulties at participating hospitals.

This MOU involves jointly promoting the ‘Holsterapy’ project with local hospitals by utilizing the resources owned by the Racing Authority to enhance the welfare of local residents and the development of the community.

The signatory institutions expect that through ‘Holsterapy,’ which will officially begin in May, they will be able to comfort the pain and suffering of local residents weary from long-term illness.

Song Daeyoung, Head of the Korea Racing Authority, said, “The Holsterapy project was piloted last year and received very high satisfaction from participating patients,” adding, “We plan to gradually expand the project so that many patients can heal through Holsterapy and the value of the horse industry can be further enhanced.”

This project will be jointly operated by two social economy enterprises in the Busan area, Hanmaeum Social Cooperative and Social Cooperative Dream Workshop, and is expected to become a new social contribution model that coexists with the local community.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.