In The News

April 13th 2006 Article - By Brenda TenBoer, Greybull Standard

Body and Spirit gets new outdoor arena
Hippotherapy program growing thanks to donations

The Body and Spirit Hippotherapy program has a new addition — a large outside riding arena that physically challenged clients can now use when weather permits.

The 100-by-120-foot outdoor arena project includes a door that allows horse and rider to travel from the inside arena to the outside riding arena without dismounting, according to occupational therapist Cindy Hinckley.

“That really means a lot for our clients,” Hinckley said. “It’s a huge deal for us.”
Physically challenged clients can now climb atop a horse, which serves as a tool for the rider, from a loading ramp located inside the steel building that houses the indoor arena and stalls.
The new arena was made possible through a collaboration of volunteers and built entirely with donations, according to Sandy McFadden of the McFadden Ranch where the Body and Spirit program is located.

“It was just amazing. Money was raised at a Curt Pate Horsemanship Clinic, the Powell company Cross Panels donated the panels for the corral and even sent two people to help with labor for an entire day,” Hinckley said during an interview at the ranch.
The Outlaw 4-H group of Basin raised $504 to purchase the posts and Keegan Foote, as a project towards his Eagle Scout badge, donated his time to the project along with other scouts, according to Hinckley.

Bill Hunt of Hunt’s Construction laid a concrete ramp for the therapeutic riding program, donating time and materials.

“That loading ramp enables people in wheelchairs to unload directly at the inside ramp to get on the horses,” Hinckley said. “He just showed up one day and said, ‘I’m going to build this.’”

The new additions are important because they add to the riders and handlers ability to be safe, according to Hinckley.

“We stress safety. No one gets on a horse without a handler. Everybody wears helmets,” she said.

The program has 25-35 volunteers with 10-15 being very active, according to McFadden.
A goal for 2006 is to recruit more volunteers. Volunteer testimonies and pictures of the horses and clients at work can be viewed on the Web at www.bodynspirit.org.

MI-Swaco has been a strong supporter of the hippotherapy program and has donated consistently to help make it a success, according to McFadden.

On March 30 three representatives of the bentonite mine arrived at the riding arena to personally present a check for $2,000 to the program. Plant manager Tim Fagley of Basin, and Billy Berryhill and Bob Bailey of Houston, Texas were the MI-Swaco representatives.

“The money will go into our scholarship fund,” Hinckley said. “It will pay for the cost of each riding session for clients who can’t afford to pay.”

Body and Spirit is a nonprofit organization providing therapeutic riding activities and hippotherapy to individuals of all ages with emotional, cognitive, physical and/or psychological disabilities with the Big Horn Basin.

“We have three programs a year each lasting 8-10 sessions. There are generally 15 to 20 clients in each program. The program also has six wonderful and patient horses that are loaned or owned by the program,” McFadden said.

Each session costs $15 and lasts for about 45 minutes, according to Hinckley.

“There are actually two types of programs here. The therapeutic riding and the hippotherapy,” Hinckley explained. “The hippotherapy is for disabled clients and they really benefit from bonding with the horses. The horse is actually the tool. You should see the look on some of those faces when they experience it for the first time.”

Therapeutic riding is more for those learning about riding the horses, and how to take care of them, according to Hinckley.

The summer therapeutic riding program begins June 6, 2006. It is an eight-week afternoon program. The summer hippotherapy program begins June 8, 2006.

Calendar of Events

June 2008

June 7th - Volunteer training

Summer Programs:
Tuesdays: June 10th 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!