Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic riding (also known as Equine Assisted Activity or Adaptive Riding) is used to improve balance, coordination, focus, independence, confidence, motor and social skills while building a rewarding relationship with an animal. For individuals with emotional, social or psychological challenges, the trust and loyalty of an animal demonstrates to them how important they are and they may then extend these attributes to their own personal relationships. Horses also help people feel in control of their situation because there is a direct correlation between action and reaction. Riding empowers the person and enables the rider to connect on a personal level without feeling the pressure of social situations. The unpredictable nature of animals also creates a real-life situation where students may confront their fears and accept situations beyond their control.

It is our philosophy to provide our services in a safe, caring, natural farm environment, and to treat our students and our horses with the compassion and understanding needed to accomplish any given goal as a team. Our program provides teams that consist of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, riding instructors, trained volunteers, clients and horses.