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Program Details

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Activities Offered
  • Horseback Riding
Building Access
  • Meets ADA standards

Staff Training and Certification
  • Staff Certification:NARHA-Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors

Transportation
  • Accessible by Public Transportation: No

  • Transportation Provided by the Program: No

Notes

Equest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit therapeutic horseback riding program founded in 1998 to serve children and adults with disabilities in Southern Maine. As a NARHA Premier Accredited Center, Equest's mission is to foster positive horse and human interaction within an experiential learning environment in order to facilitate physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Equest is a Premier Accredited Center of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). We offer a safe, inclusive and professional program to address a variety of physical, cognitive and emotional challenge.

With the help of trained therapy horses and a team of instructors, therapists, masters of social work and volunteers, students are taught the foundations of equine behavior, horse care and horsemanship skills appropriate for their age, needs and level of ability. Physical and occupational therapists, retained for consultation and evaluation, work with instructors and primary caregivers to develop individualized riding plans with educational, recreational and therapeutic goals.

Equest is accredited in three categories of therapeutic riding. The bulk of our program falls under General Therapeutic Riding, while two additional specialty categories called Hippotherapy (direct treatment by a PT, OT, or Speech Therapist, using equines as a movement tool) and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy.