Improves balance, endurance, range of motion and strength, with exercises designed to be done on a horse.
 

Provides overwhelming feelings of accomplishment and achievement by allowing the rider to learn skills and master tasks.
 

Builds strength, stability and friendships through the persons handling, care and riding of the horse.
 

Heightens the sense of awareness, enjoyment and capabilities of each rider.
 

As many as three volunteers help each rider: horse leaders help with guiding the horse, side walkers aide with balance and everyone helps with mastering new skills and tasks.
 

Almost every person with a disability can benefit from therapeutic riding.  We have seen benefits to our riders with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, brain injury, stroke, learning disorders, socialization problems and emotional problems.
 

By partnering with horses, T/R does the following: nurtures the mind and body with therapy that is fun, strengthens the community by serving it and provides opportunity where little exists.
 

Potential physical benefits to people with and without special needs are improvements in balance, muscle tone, range of motion of joints, respiration and circulation, digestion and metabolism, and fine and gross motor skills or in the reduction of muscle spasticity and abnormal movement patterns.
 

Potential educational benefits include the improvement or enhancement of focus and attention span, verbal and communication skills, comprehension and memory skills, sensory integration, visual spatial perception, differentiation of visual aids, hand-eye coordination, use of both sides of body and sequencing of events.
 

Potential psychological, social and development of life skills such as communication, verbal and non-verbal skills, self-discipline, patience, self-esteem, respect and trust, and the realization social relationships and successes.
 

Using horses to help give people a better sense of self-worth.  A chance to take responsibility and control over another living thing and the fact that a horse is so big and strong gives all equine activities added power. 
 

It offers people real experiences that present challenges, relationships and opportunities to feel alive, not only to the riders but to the volunteers and riding instructors as well.  There are always challenges to be mastered, conflicts to be resolved and successes to be shared.  Boredom is not something one encounters during T/R.