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Each month, more than 50 people with a variety of disabilities, benefit physically, mentally, and emotionally from our Therapeutic Riding program. The Therapeutic Riding program at Helen Woodward Animal Center is a NARHA (North American Riding for Handicapped) operating center.
Students ride specially trained horses to enhance balance, muscle development, and learning skills, such as hand-eye coordination, concentration, and short-term memory. More importantly, we stress having fun in a safe and rewarding environment.
Experienced staff members in conjunction with physicians, physical therapists, and special education teachers, develop riding courses to suit individuals' needs. Students also participate in horse shows specifically geared to therapeutic riding programs.
All lessons are individually geared to the needs of the rider. Initially, all students ride with a leader who controls the horse and one or two side-walkers who walk on either side of the horse for safety concerns. Scenarios differ depending on the needs of the rider. The goal of each lesson is to motivate students to ride as independently as possible in order to receive maximum benefits. We remove side-walkers and the leader only when a student can demonstrate complete control of the horse. We try to start all riders on a bareback pad to assess balance and muscle tone. Riding on bareback pads provides much better sensory feedback to the rider. We generally use English saddles because they also provide more feedback from the horse's movement. However, if a student feels more comfortable riding Western, we will certainly accommodate.
We offer half-hour individual lessons and 45 minute group lessons.There are 48 riding weeks per year. The program runs year-round. Students may take lessons for as long as they find them beneficial. We've had students involved in the program from 6 months to 10 years. There is no set length of time for the program.
