What is Therapeutic Riding?

Therapeutic riding is horseback riding for the disabled. It combines instruction in traditional horsemanship skills with concepts of physical therapy to improve the strength, balance, and self-esteem of physically and mentally disabled children and adults.

To an individual with a disability, horseback riding takes them into a new, unexplored world, which provides a sense of independence and freedom that defies their disability. Therapeutic riding challenges our riders in ways they have seldom been challenged before…and they love every minute of it!

With therapeutic riding comes improved coordination, muscle strength, joint mobility, perceptual skills, and self confidence. The opportunity to work with a horse, to groom and help saddle it, are very real sources of excitement and pride. Moreover, each step a horse takes requires our riders to use their muscles to maintain balance and their minds to work to guide the horse.

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