Lift Me Up! is a therapeutic riding program dedicated to helping children and adults with physical, mental and/or emotional disabilities improve both their physical and mental well being. By combining the unique and special presence of the horse and the skills and caring of our registered instructors, we have been able to help hundreds of people gain confidence patience and invaluable self-esteem.
The LMU! program was developed in 1975 by our Diamond in Denim, Colleen Zanin. Over the years we have expanded our programs to incorporate the innovative growth in the therapeutic riding industry. In February, 2006, Lift Me Up! achieved a long-awaited goal and closed on the purchase of a three (3) acre parcel on Georgetown Pike in Great Falls with an indoor riding facility located at 9704 Georgetown Pike. The availability of an indoor riding facility has allowed Lift Me Up! to offer year-round therapeutic riding instruction in all types of weather and to expand our program offerings to include the many remaining on our program's waiting list. In the future, we plan to offer camps and other educational opportunities to better utilize the new facility and further our mission.
Today we have over 45 riders participating in our programs and a waiting list of almost 2 years. We are actively pursuing expansion of the program to accommodate each. Our riders range in age from 3 to 50+ years old. Our staff is made up of registered therapeutic riding instructors, many of whom have occupational and/or physical therapy backgrounds. We are accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.
For the safety of all participants, please adhere to posted guidelines and barn rules and regulations regarding all of the horses on the property, particularly with respect to areas and activities that are off-limits to program participants (including stalls and turnout areas). We ask that you refrain from feeding, touching, or otherwise interacting with any of the horses on the property except with appropriate supervision and permission.
The horse has inspired awe and admiration in humans for centuries. For its great beauty, its tremendous power and it willingness to work hard beside its human partners, the horse has earned unique respect and even passion. The horse is also an amazingly intuitive creature, capable of sensing and responding to the slights signals and emotions from humans. It is this capacity that has helped human and horse form a bond of trust that can quite literally lift the human spirit.
The healing capacity of the horse goes beyond the emotional well being and confidence they can inspire. Research has shown measurable health benefits from Hippotherapy. Horses have shown a unique ability to improve function with neuromuscular disorders.
The term Hippotherapy comes from the Greek word �hippos� meaning horse, so it literally means therapy treatment with a horse. While man has enjoyed the emotional and physical benefits of riding for centuries, actual Hippotherapy has only been in use for a relatively short time. Hippotherapy uses the three-dimensional movement of the walking horse to stimulate the rider�s balance and muscular control. The rhythmic, continuous motion of the horse provides a multitude of sensation that promotes relaxation, stretching and mobility.
The skilled therapist can capitalize on the natural movement of the horse and combine it with traditional neuro-developmental and sensory techniques. Above and beyond the medical benefits, one of the best and most obvious benefits of therapeutic riding is that it�s just plain fun. When you see LMU instructors and riders tossing balls and blowing bubbles or trail riding through the woods on a glorious fall day, achieving medical goals may seem only a secondary benefit.
At Lift Me Up! (LMU!), we have found the union of the horse and rider can make some remarkable results � many stretching far beyond the physical. Our riders gain a sense of independence which they could not achieve by any other means than by being on top of their warm and supportive horses.
