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Our Riding Programs
At Grace Rides we offer therapeutic riding programs, where we use horses to heal and transform lives. Our dedicated team of volunteers and instructors are here to provide a safe and supportive environment for people like children with special needs or veterans facing PTSD. Join us on journey towards growth, confidence, and connection through the joy of riding. We look forward to riding alongside you!
THERAPEUTIC RIDING:
Group but still individualized mounted lesson that focuses on learning riding skills, starting with a balanced dressage seat, and incorporating tailored activities while riding to improve areas identified as most challenging for each participant. Participants are placed into classes based on a “match” for age/cognitive age, areas of “focus” for overcoming their challenges, and their level of physical ability.
HORSES FOR HEROES:
A program exclusively for military and law enforcement veterans. Level One is groundwork, handling, general care and relational. Level One Advanced uses all of the same but adds competitive in-hand pattern work. Level Two can offer therapeutic riding for those who are interested and fit within our physical ability and weight limitations.
STABLE FRIENDS:
An unmounted program for pre-teens and teens who have experienced aspects of anxiety and/or depression in their lives. Offers horsemanship skills, along with horse behavior, grooming and general care (including some barn chore activities).
WORK-STUDY:
An unmounted program designed for young adults, aimed at developing social and general work skills, using training in horsemanship/handling, barn chores, and organic gardening.
SILVER MANES:
An unmounted emotional, cognitive and physical enrichment program for senior citizens, focusing on horse behavior, grooming, ground handling and relationship.
EQUINE-ASSISTED LEARNING AND ENRICHMENT:
An unmounted educational and physical enrichment program (agriculture/gardening/barn management, plus horse behavior, care, grooming and ground handling studies) for special teen youth selected by school principals and counselors – This is a “closed” program, available only by agreement with requesting schools.
EQUINE-ASSISTED MENTAL HEALTH ENRICHMENT:
An unmounted educational, social, physical and mental health enrichment program (agriculture/gardening/barn chores, plus horse behavior, care, grooming and ground handling studies, and supervised socialization) for special pre-teen and teen youth selected by local counseling agencies. -- This is a “closed” program, available only by agreement with requesting counseling agencies, and requires counselors involved with participating youth in the clinical setting (outside the farm) to also be present during on-farm sessions.
AGE/WEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR ALL PROGRAMS:
Participants must be at least 4 years old. There is no upper age limit, but some weight restrictions due apply for everyone’s safety. Each participant in each program attends at least one session each week.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF OUR PROGRAMS:
PHYSICAL – improves balance, body awareness in space, muscle tone, posture, endurance, and fine and gross motor skills, to name a few of the primary benefits.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL – Increased self-confidence; builds relationship between people and animals; improves communication and general social skills; encourages a sense of compassion and fulfilment; can help to overcome anxiety or fearfulness.
COGNITIVE – improves focus and attention span; develops ability to follow multiple step directions; safety and personal awareness; other educational components as indicated for each individual.
EXAMPLES OF DISABILITIES SERVED:
Autism Spectrum Attention Deficit Disorder Anxiety Cerebral Palsy Dementia
Depression Developmental Delay Down Syndrome Neuromuscular Disorder
Speech Deficit/Delay Trauma/PTSD Traumatic Brain Injury
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