SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS INC

THERAPEUTIC RIDING OUR THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM FOCUSES ON TEACHING HORSEBACK-RIDING SKILLS WHILE USING THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITIES TAILORED TO EACH RIDER'S NEEDS. THESE LESSONS ARE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR RIDERS WITH PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE DISABILITIES. GROUP LESSONS ARE STRUCTURED WITH FOUR RIDERS PER CLASS, EACH TAUGHT BY A CERTIFIED RIDING INSTRUCTOR. THESE SMALL-GROUP MOUNTED THERAPEUTIC RIDING LESSONS TAKE PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY IN OUR LARGE, COVERED 100' X 200' ARENA FOR A 1-HOUR SESSION, WHICH INCLUDES TIME TO MOUNT AND DISMOUNT RIDERS. SOME RIDERS, IF THEY ARE INTERESTED, MAY GO BACK TO THE BARN TO HELP UNTACK AND GROOM THEIR HORSE. THERAPEUTIC RIDING DEVELOPS SMALL AND GROSS MOTOR SKILLS, PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES, AND TEACHES ESSENTIAL EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES, AND BUILDS SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AMONG RIDERS, THEIR INSTRUCTORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHER RIDERS. RIDERS OFTEN DO NOT REALIZE THEY ARE GAINING THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN EXPERIENCING THE MOTION OF A HORSE IS THERAPEUTIC BECAUSE HORSEBACK RIDING RHYTHMICALLY MOVES THE RIDER'S BODY LIKE THE HUMAN GAIT. RIDERS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES REGULARLY SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBILITY, BALANCE, AND MUSCLE STRENGTH. IN ADDITION TO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS, HORSEBACK RIDING OFFERS INDIVIDUALS RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS. HORSEBACK RIDING ACTIVITIES ALSO ENCOURAGE STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING OF UNDERUSED OR UNDERDEVELOPED MUSCLES, IMPROVE POSTURE AND COORDINATION, HELP DEVELOP GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS, INCREASE THE RIDER'S AWARENESS OF THEIR BODY, AND IMPROVE RANGE OF MOTION. IN ADDITION, RIDERS WITH DISABILITIES INCREASE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AND INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO FOCUS AND STAY ON TASK. THERAPEUTIC GROOMING SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS, INC. OFFERS THERAPEUTIC GROOMING CLASSES. THESE CLASSES PROVIDE A RANGE OF BENEFITS, FROM STRESS REDUCTION TO FOSTERING TRUST FOR MORE POSITIVE CONNECTIONS, ENHANCING MENTAL WELL-BEING, BOOSTING SELF-ESTEEM, STRENGTHENING BONDS, AND IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLNESS. THESE BENEFITS ARE NOT JUST FOR HUMANS BUT ALSO FOR OUR BELOVED HORSES. THE RHYTHMIC AND CALMING ACT OF BRUSHING BUILDS MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, ENHANCES COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AND IS PURELY ENJOYABLE. OUR TEAM HAS INTEGRATED THE NATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION STANDARDS INTO THE GROOMING CURRICULUM, ALLOWING FACILITATORS TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, DECISION-MAKING, GOAL-SETTING, ADVOCACY, NUTRITION, AND MORE AT SE, WE BELIEVE THE BARN IS A SACRED SPACE, AND HOLDING CLASSES AMONG THE PINE SHAVINGS, RUSTIC WOODEN WALLS, AND GROOMING STATIONS IS A BLESSING AND GIFT FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERS, STAFF, AND PARTICIPANTS. OUR PATH INTL FACILITATES THIS PROGRAM. CERTIFIED THERAPEUTIC RIDING INSTRUCTORS AND LISA COY, A PATH INTL. CERTIFIED EQUINE SPECIALIST IN MENTAL HEALTH AND LEARNING. WE CONDUCT THE GROOMING CLASSES AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE SCHEDULED THERAPEUTIC RIDING SERVICES. THIS PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO ADDRESS OUR VERY LONG WAITING LIST AND SERVE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO RIDE. THE BENEFITS ARE MANY, AND CAREGIVERS EXPRESS INCREASED CONFIDENCE, ENJOYMENT, AND EXCITEMENT AMONG PARTICIPANTS. THERAPY SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY UTILIZING HIPPOTHERAPY STRIDES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES HAS PARTNERED WITH SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS TO PROVIDE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES USING HIPPOTHERAPY AS A TREATMENT STRATEGY. USING OUR VALUABLE EQUINES, CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAN RECEIVE THERAPY SERVICES LIKE NEVER BEFORE. THE MINIMUM AGE TO RECEIVE THESE SERVICES IS 2 YEARS OLD. WHAT IS HIPPOTHERAPY THE TERM HIPPOTHERAPY REFERS TO HOW OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS USE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AND CLINICAL REASONING TO PURPOSEFULLY MANIPULATE EQUINE MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE SENSORY, NEUROMOTOR, AND COGNITIVE SYSTEMS AND ACHIEVE FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AFFORDANCES OF THE EQUINE ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER TREATMENT STRATEGIES, HIPPOTHERAPY IS PART OF A PATIENT'S INTEGRATED PLAN OF CARE. (AMERICAN HIPPOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION DEFINITION). YOU WILL SEE MANY BENEFITS FROM ADDING HIPPOTHERAPY TO A PLAN OF CARE, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN SENSORIMOTOR INTEGRATION, MOTOR TIMING AND COORDINATION, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, BALANCE, MIDLINE ORIENTATION, BILATERAL INTEGRATION, SPEECH, MOBILITY, AND MANY MORE. HOW IT WORKS NEUROMOTOR: THE MOVEMENT OF A HORSE'S HIND LEGS AND PELVIS IS TRANSMITTED TO THE PERSON RIDING, WHICH CAUSES MOVEMENT IN THE PELVIS OF THAT PERSON. THE HORSE'S RHYTHMIC, SYMMETRICAL GAIT PROVIDES ABOUT 3000 "WALKING" STEPS TO THE CLIENT DURING A 30-MINUTE SESSION. SENSORY: THE HORSE, FARM SITE, BARN, AND ARENA ALL PROVIDE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SENSORY EXPOSURE ON EVERY LEVEL. COGNITIVE: THE CLIENT MAY NEED TO COMPLETE COMPLEX TASKS, SUCH AS FOLLOWING MULTIPLE-STEP DIRECTIONS OR RECALLING A SEQUENCE OF MOVEMENTS, OR SIMPLER TASKS, SUCH AS REMEMBERING THEIR HORSE'S NAME AND COLOR. SARAH POINDEXTER, MS, OTR/L, BEGAN THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IN 2015 BY TAKING THE AMERICAN HIPPOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION'S LEVEL 1 AND 2 COURSES AND SUCCESSFULLY PASSING THE AHCB (AMERICAN HIPPOTHERAPY BOARD CERTIFICATION) BOARD EXAMINATION IN 2016. SHE ALSO BECAME A PATH, INTLREGISTERED THERAPIST IN 2016. AS AN AHCB-CERTIFIED THERAPIST, SHE BEGAN OFFERING HIPPOTHERAPY AS A TREATMENT STRATEGY IN JANUARY OF 2018 AT SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS, INC. IN FT MYERS, FLORIDA.