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We are a 501(C)-3 corporation providing a unique approach to physical, emotional, and recreation therapy for both children and adults, with wide ranges in their disabilities. We also enjoy working with "at risk youths". Our Special Olympics Certified instructors with the help of dedicated volunteers and specially trained horses, enable riders of all ages to benefit from alternative therapeutic techniques away from the normal "clinical" setting. Riders not only enjoy our home facility, but also participate in equestrian events throughout the year.
Riders are referred to the program by a variety of agencies, schools, recreation organizations, physicians and therapists who feel an individual may benefit from the program. Classes are structured to each rider as an individual and goals are set toward their own abilities. With the help of instructors and volunteers, students gain a feeling of personal accomplishment and freedom of movements they can not experience in a wheelchair or other aiding devices. Most importantly riders can benefit physically, emotionally, and mentally through interaction with horses, instructors, volunteers and fellow students.
The special riding program uses an innovative approach using the movement of the horse. During the sessions, riders receive a wide range of benefits. The movement of the rider, given through the horse, offers stimulation to the whole body, including the nervous system and the brain as well as general types of stimulation such as proprioceptive (sense of joint movement), vestibular (sense of balance), tactile (sense of touch), olfactory (sense of smell), and visual and healing input.
The dynamic movement of the horse (forward and backward, up and down, and side to side) organizes the riders nervous system; therefore, increasing awareness of how their body relates to their environment. From the organization provided by the nervous system, the rider is better able to use language and plan and execute motor movement in a automatic manner. When language and motor skills become automatic, the nervous system becomes more efficient in processing and organizing sensory input.
Overall, the riders respond enthusiastically to this enjoyable learning experience in a controlled and natural setting.
