My family and I have been looking for ways that we can be involved with animals since we don't have the space for them currently. We stumbled upon the STRIDES Horsemanship Therapeutic Center a few months ago and finally were able to make it out for a visit. What a beautiful experience! 13 horses on site in pasture and in their pens. My kids were able to learn about how to brush and care for the miniature horse Lucy. We all learned about things like a currycomb, scraping fly eggs off of a horse, the blind spots of a horse, how to walk correctly behind a horse (very close - touching them! - this totally surprised me), and how to properly comb out a horse's tail. We also learned that some horses like being with other horses and others are independent souls, just like people!
We also learned about the amazing benefits of horse therapy:
- Autistic children can improve their speech by the stimulation provided!
- Non-ambulatory children can gain the ability to walk through the movement of riding a horse.
- Children that struggle in social settings can gain more confidence and self-esteem by working with horses.
See for yourself! I promise you will thoroughly enjoy your visit if you make the effort to go.
Another very unique opportunity is coming up!
There are opportunities for everyone. If you are interested in volunteering, coming to story time with miniature pony Lucy, or joining the Pony Club, reach out!
