FEQUENTALY ASKED QUESTION'S

Why does a therapeutic riding program need volunteers?

What is the difference between therapuetic riding and hippotherapy?

What actually takes place during a riding lesson?

Who are the clients?

How is therapuetic riding good for a person with disabilities?

Why does a therapeutic riding program need volunteers?

Most theraputic riding client are reffered by non-profit organizations that that cannot exist without volunteers. An instructor and a team of three people may be needed for a person with a disability to ride safely. On top of the lesson expenses, paying two to three additonal people to help one person to ride would put his sport out of reach for all but a very few.

What is the difference between therapuetic riding and hippotherapy?

Theraputic riding and hippotherapy differ in a fundamental way. In therapeutic riding, the client infulences the horse, learning basic controls to move the horses as desired. In hippotherapy, the horse becomes the tool and a thereapost must be part of the team that directs the proces whereby the horese influences the client through specific movements and activites.

Therapuetic riding involves a variety of activities centered around riding and learning to ride a horse. The diverse namture of these activities creates a positive impact on the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being of people with disabilities. Almost any disbling physical, mental, or emotional condition benefits from theraputic riding. There aer many social, psychological and physical benefits to be derived from therapeutic riding.

Hippotherapy is conducted with a physical therapist. Hippotherapy literally means treatment with the help of a horse. Activities centered around a horse are actually a form of therapy that enables the client to achieve physical, psychological, cognitive, behovioral, and communication goals. The unique combination of the horse, the movement of the horse, and a non-clinical environment produces an extordianary effect on all the systems of the body.

What actually takes place during a riding lesson?

One to three volunteers, an instructor, and a therapist can work with a client in an enclosed ring or a stable area for any of several purposes. The client may learn to sit well astride a horse, learn special riding skills, care for the horse, or learn how to saddle a horse. The client may play games on horseback, perform gymnastic movements on the back of a horse, and learn dressage, jumping, reining, or gymkhana activties. The client may work with the therapist for a medical treatment session. Each client will have individual goals to work toward.

Who are the clients?

Clients come from the comunity, schools, hospital and rehabilitation centers. They are referred by physcial and occupational therapists, by speech therapists, physcial treatment centers, and agencies for the handicapped.

The clients can be of any age, from small children to people in ther senior years. People who want to diminsh the effects of strokes, head injuries, cerbral palsy, or arthritis are espcially suited for theraputic riding. People with emtional problems and mental disabilities can profit too. A person with low vision or no vision can learn to ride. Other disabilities that can be helped by riding clients include autism, may kinds of birth injuries, muscular dystropy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, polio, limb deformaties, amputations, mild spinal curvers, learning disabilities, coordination dysfunctions, hearing and speech disorders, and low level spinal cord injuries.

How is therapuetic riding good for a person with disabilities?

Riding, for the person with a disability, is therapuetic in many ways. Gains are found in coordination skills, language, emotional control, social awareness, peer relations, self-concept, improvement of work skills and self-confidence (DePauw, 1986). A study showed that children with learning disabilities showed an increased internal "locus" of control and a positive self-concept when involved in a therapuetic horseback riding (Carlson, 1983). It has been suggested that the excitement of a "risk exercise" leads to a feeling of euphoria and increased mobility, motivation and courage (Rosethal, 1975).

We have 3 programs a year each lasting 10 sessions.  There are generally 15 to 20 clients in each program.  The program also has 6 wonderful and patient horses that are loaned or owned by the program.

Calendar of Events

June 2008

June 7th - Volunteer training

Summer Programs:
Mondays: June 9th thru July 28

Thursdays: June 12th thru July 31st

July 2008

Wed. July 16th, Board Mtg. @ Big Horn Federal Bank in Greybull

Summer Progams end July 29th and July 31st

August 2008

September 2008

Fall Program Begins Fridays Sept. 19th - Nov. 21st-Fall Program

Sept 6th or 13 - Benefit Challenge - TBA

 October 2008

Wed. Oct. 15th @ 6:30 pm at the Big Horn Federal Bank in Greybull

November 2008

Fall Program Ends Friday, Nov. 21st

December 2008

December 6th-Annual Greybull Christmas Bazaar - What will we Raffle this YEAR!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact

Progam Director
Cindy Hinckley (307)-765-4773

Volunteer Coordinator
Sandy McFadden (307)-765-9684

President
Loren Alberts

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