CBS Philadelphia featured a Blue Bell nonprofit's equine therapy program for police officers in a Tuesday, Sept. 8 segment tied to the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The Kindle Hill Foundation runs what it describes as the only equine-assisted training program in the country designed specifically for law enforcement. Officers work through a no-touch obstacle course, guiding a horse with body language alone. No touching the animal.

"It really forces you to be more mindful and think about calming down your emotions and lowering your heart rate because they feel that and they know when you're stressed," Sgt. Andrew Clauhs of the Upper Moreland Township Police Department told CBS Philadelphia reporter Stephanie Stahl.

Clauhs said officers have made real progress in addressing stress in the 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Officer Matthew Stadulis, identified in the CBS segment as being with White Marsh Township Police, also appeared. Stadulis said the program helped him cope after he was attacked by a felon with a gun and after years of responding to high-stress calls.

Saly Glassman, who founded and directs the Kindle Hill Foundation, told CBS Philadelphia that horses are highly sensitive to their surroundings, much like officers on the job. She said that connection can offer relief to those who share that heightened awareness.

Glassman studied psychology at Cornell University and spent 39 years at Merrill Lynch before launching the nonprofit, according to the foundation's website. She established Kindle Hill as a 501(c)(3) with an endowment supplemented by grants and public donations.

The foundation partners with police departments, the FBI, Montgomery County Emergency Services and agencies across the Philadelphia region and New Jersey, according to its website. Its first-responder programs cover communication, mental health therapy and professional self-care.

A jiu-jitsu club for sworn officers, the Guardians Jiu-Jitsu Club, also trains at the Blue Bell site on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The club has more than 60 paid members from agencies across five counties. Membership costs $50 a year, and all fees go back into Kindle Hill's law enforcement programs.

Beyond first responders, Kindle Hill offers equine-assisted programs for people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. It also serves children, teens, adults, veterans and teachers across the greater Philadelphia area.

Residents can learn more at kindlehill.org or contact Glassman at 215-990-7718 or [email protected].