What is therapeutic riding and what are the benefits?
OUR MISSION
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HORSEPOWER's mission is to promote and enhance the welfare of individuals with disabilities by providing a program of therapeutic, educational and recreational value, and further, to empower individuals who are mentally, physically, emotionally and/or socially challenged through the use of horses, while providing therapeutic benefits in a safe and controlled atmosphere. |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joe Glover-Chair |
Jan Clifford-Executive Director |
Chris Puckett |
Rob Wells |
Debra Blackwell |
Patrick Forbis |
Melissa Lyons |
Isadore Morrow |
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| Jay Donecker | Dan Rice | Tibe Payne |
| April Reed |
What is therapeutic riding and what are the benefits?
Therapeutic horseback riding helps people who are mentally and physically challenged achieve a quality of life that is improved, enhanced and enriched. Based on input from doctors, therapists, teachers, and parents, the student's individual goals are designed to complement ongoing therapy and education. The benefits of horseback riding are threefold:
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Physical - The three-dimensional motion of the horse provides the rider hip and back actions that simulate natural walking. Riding relaxes and strengthens muscles and improves body tone, posture, balance, joint mobility, and coordination.
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Emotional - Contact with horses and horsemanship training provides a non-competitive setting for learning new abilities, self-discipline, and improved concentration building self-confidence.
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Social - Horseback riding nurtures a positive self-image. Riders may, for the first time in their lives, experience some independence and sense of being part of the team.
The
educational and physical benefits from equestrian activities are numerous.
Participants learn new skills and build confidence through opportunities
to interact with animals and other individuals. Particularly
beneficial for individuals with impaired mobility, horseback riding gently
and rhythmically moves the body in a similar manner to a human walking
gait, thereby, increasing balance, muscle control and strength. (Back
to Top)
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Our vision is to increase the quality of life for people with disabilities through the use of horses. |
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We believe that horses provide recreational and therapeutic benefits to persons with disabilities. |
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We believe that what happens between a horse and its rider is often a magical, and sometimes unexplainable, experience. |
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We believe that our training, knowledge and experience with horses and persons with disabilities provides a unique opportunity to enhance the quality of life for our clients. |
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We believe the world looks different on a horse.
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PATH International- Ensuring Excellence and Changing Lives Through Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies
HORSEPOWER is a Premier center, operating an equine program and following all of the operation standards set forth by PATH International Headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
PATH Intl. was founded in 1969 as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) to promote safe and effective therapeutic horseback riding throughout the United States and Canada. Today, PATH Intl. has nearly 800 member centers and over 6,300 individual members in countries all over the world, who help and support more than 42,000 men, women and children with special needs each year through a variety of equine-assisted activity and therapy programs.
Though PATH Intl. began with a focus on horseback riding as a form of physical and mental therapy, the organization and its dedicated members have since developed a multitude of different equine-related activities for therapeutic purposes, collectively known as equine-assisted activities and therapies (or EAAT). Besides horseback riding, EAAT also includes therapeutic carriage driving; interactive vaulting, which is similar to gymnastics on horseback; equine-facilitated learning and mental health, which use the horse as a partner in cognitive and behavioral therapy, usually with the participation of a licensed therapist; ground work and stable management; and NARHA Horses for Heroes, a new program that uses a variety of EAAT disciplines specifically to help war veterans and military personnel. In addition, many of PATH Intl.’s 25 volunteer-driven committees are working on identifying and refining even more disciplines and activities that might be put to use in the world of EAAT.
To learn more about PATH Intl. visit their website at www.PATHINTL.org (Back to Top)
Visit HORSEPOWER
For more information on our program or to schedule an appointment for a tour of our facility, please give us a call at 336-931-1424. You'll find detailed directions to HORSEPOWER here.
Contact Us
Phone: 336.931.1424
Fax: 336.931.1425
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For information on becoming a volunteer, questions about completing community service hours, information on group volunteer projects or general inquiries, contact the Jess Holliday, Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@horsepower.org. |
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For information on P.A.T.H. our Equine Facilitated Life Skills Program, or our HORSEPOWER Club contact Tim Clifford, Youth Director, at tim@horsepower.org. |
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For information on donations, becoming a student or questions regarding media/PR, contact Jan Clifford, Executive Director, at jan@horsepower.org. |
