Known as a visionary with a passion for horses and learning, Molly Sweeney, of Hockley, Texas, has been chosen as the 2011 recipient of The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award for her local and national-level volunteer work for over two decades in the equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAA/T) field.

Sweeney recognized the importance of professional research to support the results from EAA/T. To that end, she gathered like-minded individuals with the intent to create a plan to promote research. It was under her leadership and dedication that the Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) was born. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, HHRF offers grants for scientific research on the therapeutic relationship between horses and humans.

"We are most pleased that Molly Sweeney has been selected to receive the Humanitarian Award for 2011 for her dedication and tireless work with equine assisted activities and therapies, and her leadership in establishing the Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF)," said Jenny Belknap Kees, chairman of the board of The EQUUS Foundation. "HHRF’s work on validating the influence of horses on human health will transform the value and purpose of equines in our culture."

As a result of support from this internationally recognized foundation, controlled research has now been published in peer-review journals. Sweeney recognized early on that all EAA/T progress would hinge on learning the facts, not relying on anecdotal input. The EAA/T field could not move forward without developing evidence-informed practices through the highest levels of published scientific research. She was one of the first to recognize that until rigorous research was established many things would be held back, including fundraising, third-party reimbursement, development of best practices, community acceptance, and mainstreaming EAA/T in society