Mission Statement: The use of equine-assisted activities to promote functional independence and overall personal well-being for individuals that have physical, emotional, and/or cognitive limitations.
From time to time we will have a referral from someone that is not appropriate to ride. Perhaps their physical limitations are such that it is not safe for them, or maybe their size is such that it is not safe for the rider, horse, or volunteers. At times, there is simply a fear of being mounted atop a 1000 pound animal. Whatever the reason is the person is not appropriate to ride, some of them still have a love for horses.
In these cases, we can offer ground work only classes. Students come once a week for about 30 minutes. They groom a horse or pony, sometimes get to lead their horse, and then get to feed it an apple, carrot, or horse treat.
Students in the Ground Work Only classes gain sequencing skills as they learn the order of grooming, social skills as they interact with a volunteer, and speech and language as they interact with their volunteer. (These classes are NOT conducted by a Speech Therapist.) Mostly, however, the students gain the knowledge that they are loved unconditionally!