Here
are some quotes from our participants' family members: |
"My
daughter has been attending lessons at SDTRHR for nearly a
year now. Seeing how far she has come, not only as a rider,
but in her life as well, is truly a testament to the hard
work, dedication and caring of the SDTRHR staff."
- Olivia's Dad
|
"My
48 year old mentally-challenged brother in law has been riding
at SDTRHR for almost a year. In that time, many wonderful
improvements have been made. His speech has improved, his
coordination has increased appreciably, he's more relaxed
and much less obsessive compulsive when around the horses.
The smile on his face when he is getting ready to see Niska
is truly a joy."
- Gail, Tommy's sister-in-law |
"My
daughter, Caroline, has been with the center for about a year
now and has done incredibly well! My aunt, former creator
Katarina ("Kattis") Burroughs, had suggested she
start since she had started the program here in Delaware.
It was the best advice we had ever had for her! She now wants
to do everything with horses at home, gets sad when she is
unable to go to her lesson at any point and tells everyone
about Niska and Cimmie. I have always told others about how
wonderful the program is and I truly believe in it. I hope
others will have the added benefits of seeing and believing
as well!"
- Brandy, Caroline's Mom
|
| "Riding
provides a wonderful source of self-esteem for the students.
They are empowered for the first time in their lives and have
begun to believe that they are worth something." By a teacher
from a school serving Autistic children in the area where students
have been attending since the inception of the program." |
SDTRHR'S Participants
 SDTRHR
provides equine-assisted therapy to disabled children and adults;
presently, our youngest participant is 4 years old and our oldest
is 53. Our participants may have physical and/or social/emotional
challenges.
Disabilities served by SDTRHR
include: Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Ausberger's Syndrome, Attention-Deficit
Disorder, Spina Bifida, visual-impairments, Multiple Sclerosis,
Mental Retardation and sensory deprivation.
Since we have a ratio of one NARHA certified instructor per participant,
SDTRHR provides quality, individualized instruction based on carefully
thought out lesson plans which include: teaching a riding skill,
learning about horse anatomy and behavior and learning the equipment
used for grooming and riding. The instructors at SDTRHR strive to
make the lessons fun and enjoyable for everyone involved.
We have experienced countless success stories with our participants.
One of our participants with Cerebral Palsy has been riding at SDTRHR
for over 7 years. When he first started he lacked the trunk and
legs muscles to sit independently on the horse. Due to this muscle
weakness, he required a back rider to provide support behind him
and was only able to ride the horse at the walk. Well, now he rides
in a saddle independently and walks, trots and even CANTERS! A true
success story!
Another one of our young participants with Autism loves riding so
much, her mother can't tell her when her lesson is or she won't
sleep the night before! She has also come very far -- she knows
how to mount on her own, is holding the reins in both hands and
is now working on steering! Her smile and laugh during her lessons
is contagious!
These are just a few of the amazing stories SDTRHR has to share
about our participants. Enjoy the photos
and quotes from participants, families and friends!
Click
here to see photos of our participants!
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