With his friendly attitude and quick responses, American quarter horse Six has helped special-needs community members gain control over their challenges one ride at a time. The 15-year-old gelding has been a part of Loveland’s Hearts and Horses team for three years, where he and other horses provide therapy and friendship to disabled community members young and old.

While all horses are important to the program, Six is especially crucial because he’s such a good listener. The horse understands and responds to verbal cues, which is a vital tool to riders who can’t make commands physically, said Carrie Coyne of the nonprofit.

“Kids or adults who have a hard time giving physical cues to the horses, they can still get therapy by giving verbal cues to Six,” Coyne said. “That’s really important to our program.”However, now the horse who has helped so many is in need of assistance himself. Six has a chronic bladder problem that needs continuous medical attention. While the condition is not curable, it is treatable — at a cost of between $2,000 and $3,000 a year in medical expenses. For the nonprofit organization, it’s too much to bear alone.