What is riding therapy?

Equispirit uses the movement of the horse and related activities to contribute to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being of individuals with disabilities. Therapeutic riding provides a fun and challenging way for individuals to overcome their obstacles.
	For riders with physical limitations the warmth and movement of the horse can encourage stretching and strengthening of their muscles. The movement the horse produces when walking is similar to the movement a human makes as they walk.
Because of these similarities, riders that cannot walk independently can strengthen the muscles needed for them to take their first step, all while seated on the back of a horse. Riders working on fine motor skills can also benefit from the hand-eye coordination activities completed during therapeutic riding sessions.

Many of these activities are specifically designed to improve the rider's range of motion in their hands and fingers as well as help to develop their visual perceptual skills. Through the skills learned during their therapy sessions it is the hope of our instructors that each and every rider gains more self-confidence, self-control, patience, and trust in themselves and those around them. It is hoped that every rider forms a special bond with their horse, their instructors, and their volunteers.