Adaptive Riding

Adaptive Riding involves a certified instructor, with trained volunteers, assisting riders to achieve therapeutic and other life goals, acquire horsemanship skills, and establish a special bond with their horse. It is the horse’s three-dimensional stride that makes Therapeutic Riding such an effective therapeutic tool. The horse’s movement simulates a normal human gait. This in turn stimulates the rider physically and cognitively toward reaching therapeutic goals. This gentle rhythmic movement helps improve balance, muscle control and tone, motor development and coordination, posture, strength, and overall body awareness. Many riders for the first time in their lives can experience the freedom and joy of independent movement.

​The relationship that can occur between a rider and their horse can help a rider overcome debilitating fears. As a rider learns that they can have control of a horse they can begin to learn that they can take control of themselves as well. Trust, impulse control, self-confidence, relationship building, and natural consequences are among the lessons learned. The opportunity to give verbal commands to the horse has allowed many of our riders to greatly improve their verbal skills and has even led to some of our riders speaking for the first time.

T.R.O.T.R. combines recreational horseback riding instruction with concepts of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social/emotional therapies to improve the riders in the following areas: