Our riders are truly “the HEARTbeat of The MEADOWS” as their
INSPIRATIONAL-laughter and JOYful shouts of “WALK ON!” fill the arena and
motivate each horse and every volunteer!
Therapeutic horseback riding has long been recognized by The American
Occupational Therapy Association and Physical Therapy Association for its benefits
of strengthening weak muscles, helping tight muscles relax as well as creating
emotional connections between the riders, their horses and their volunteers.
The personal goals set for each rider vary as much as the riders do. Upon arrival
each day, each rider is greeted with a MAGICAL smile from the instructor, the horse
leader and of course, the horse. Highly individualized lesson plans can improve
physical strength, muscle tone, balance, mobility and hand-eye coordination which
are some of the visibly enhanced skills.
The more subtle improvements are increased self-esteem, self-control and selfconfidence.
These goals are reached through lessons designed for the students to learn horsemanship and to ride the horse with the instructor taking into account each individual rider’s physical, emotional and mental strengths & limitations.
The MAGICAL bond between the horse and student increases the attention,
concentration, learning and verbal skills that are “at the heart of” learning to ride successfully and to communicate with others.
