"Riding turns I wish into I can." -Pam Brown
Therapeutic Riding is the use of horses and equine-oriented activities for the purpose of contributing positively to the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well being of people with disabilities. Both the American Physical Therapy Association and American Occupational Therapy Association recognize the therapeutic qualities of riding.
Wings and Hooves relies on the foundation of many proven, successful therapeutic strategies and structures. Our lead instructor, Karen Cuneo, is a North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) certified instructor with several years experience in therapeutic riding instruction. While our mission is supported by dedicated professionals with a variety of non-profit and fundraising experience, our horses are passionate partners in showing our riders how to fly.
Therapeutic Riding has been shown to be helpful in a variety of aspects:
- A horse’s gait emulates that of a human’s, gently and rhythmically moving the rider’s body in a manner comparable to walking and allowing the brain to practice correct walking movement
- A horse’s body temperature is four to five degrees higher than a human’s; the extra warmth reduces spasticity and stretches the rider’s muscles
- Riding empowers the rider to regain a sense of control over one’s own body and the environment
- Research shows that people with pets are mentally and physically healthier and riding allows the student to bond with an animal intimately
- Social interaction with instructors, therapists, volunteers, other clients, and animals are all important aspects of the therapy
- Results include and are not limited to:
- Increased strength and balance
- Improved circulation and respiration
- Normalized muscle tone
During a one-hour meaningful lesson, riders can practice:
- Sequencing tasks to learn how to put steps together in the right order
- Hand-eye coordination
- Balance
- Multitasking
- Using multiple senses to improve sensory integration
- External and internal spatial orientation through body awareness on a horse
- Training muscles to carry out the task at hand to improve motor planning
- Learning how to identify colors, numbers, shapes, animals, directions, etc.
- Speech, movement, and motor skills
- Listening carefully and following directions
