Posted on 03/22/2015 12:46:32 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The local chapter of Horses with Wings is helping area kids with special needs develop their skills while having some fun.
The program is kicking off its third year here in the Tri-States, and local organizers received training with the Spirit Horse International Therapeutic Riding Center in Texas.
Horses with Wings President Terri Houser says they learned that riding horses helps build neuropathways, helping kids with physical or mental disabilities do things they can't ordinarily do.
She says kids who aren't able to walk have seen improvement through the horse therapy program and one boy was even able to overcome some of his struggles with math.
"So we started riding over the poles, and as you went over the pole it was five, 10, 15, 20, 25," Houser said. "The first time we got to 25, his mom and I both cried."
Houser says the program has been driven solely by the overwhelming support of passionate private donors.
She says most of their costs are for insurance, while private support has allowed them to focus on the kids, rather than having to hold fundraisers. Early in the season, a local couple donates the use of their barn arena in Camden, Illinois. Then the kids ride out at Jenson Woods in Brown County during the summer and fall.
Volunteer instructors have donated the use of their horses for the kids to ride, while other supporters have given their time and energy to make their vision a reality. Houser says nine local kids are participating this season, but they're looking to expand further in the future.
To learn more about the program, to donate resources or to find out how to get your child signed up, visit the local chapter's facebook page here.
My sister in Colorado volunteers for this and she LOVES it,
It really does help the kids.
http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Rising-Stories-Rescued-Dreams/dp/1590522699
Christians Kim Meeder and her husband bought some acerage in Oregon that had been strip mined. It was nothing but cinders and rocks. But they brought the land back, and in the background view were the mountains.
She took in abused horses, sick horses, and those horses who had been tortured.
She then started accepting visits from schools and churches who had some of the most broken and abused children in the country (physical, mental, sexual abuse).
Her book will bring tears to your eyes, but also hope and joy.
What a great organization...and my wife volunteer at a local horse therapy group.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.