Therapeutic Horse Riding.JPG)
Do you enjoy working with children, horses and being
outdoors?
 Then this is a project that you would find very rewarding.
Horses
are incredible animals. They seem to sense when people have
special needs and they try their best to adapt to meet those
needs. These gentle giants are unbelievably understanding,
compassionate and completely non-judgmental. Unless one is
deliberately brutal, they continually excuse us for our
mistakes. Horses truly give their hearts and souls for the people that love them. It is no wonder then that horses make
such wonderful “therapists.”
This program is an excellent opportunity for
family
volunteering! Horses are incredible animals
Therapeutic riding and horse interaction is a
powerful tool for many as they strive toward wholeness. Special
needs that therapeutic horse riding with Aldeas de Paz meet,
include emotional and behavioral issues, at risk youth, learning
disabilities and vision, speech and hearing
impairments.
 Therapeutic riding for children with
developmental disabilities
The horse’s movements are smooth and the riding experience can help to
exercise muscles that are used in walking and for balance.
The smooth motion of the horse can help to improve balance,
overall gross motor function, as well as trunk, pelvic and
hip motion. Therapeutic riding is very helpful for children with
developmental disabilities and learning
disabilities. Stevens (2007) discusses how horse interaction
and therapeutic riding are particularly helpful for children
with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This type of therapeutic
setting may help children to improve their:
-
Listening skills and the ability to follow
multi-step directions
-
Communication skills
-
Social skills
-
Self-esteem
-
Left to right orientation and directionality (start at the front, move to the back, move left to right)
-
Sequencing (step one, step two, step three, etc. in order)
-
Horse interaction and therapeutic riding can also help the child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to allow others to enter their world and eventually to join, at least to some degree, the world outside of themselves
We offer volunteer training sessions
We feel certain that you will enjoy, as
much as we have, the opportunity to work with children in our Therapeutic Horseback Program! Our Therapeutic
Riding Program depends on the dedication of our volunteers.
Volunteering is a rewarding and educational experience. We
offer volunteer training sessions to
help you learn more
about our students and horses. Little horse experience is needed.
Learn to be a side walker or horse leader to allow special
needs students to
enjoy
a safe and educational riding lesson. NOTE: Young Volunteers must be at least 8 years
 old.
Assist with the feeding, grooming and cleaning of the horses
and stables. We have a team of volunteers that assist each
morning and afternoon. This program is a great opportunity
for
family
volunteering!
Activities can include:
- Daily maintenance and care of horses
- Assisting with therapeutic riding classes
- Maintenance of the paddock, arena and field
shelter
- Assist with the feeding, grooming and cleaning of
the horses and stables
- Maintenance of the saddlery and equipment
- Maintaining photographic and written records of
the children's progress on a weekly basis
- Helping with the collection of grasses to feed
the horses
- Opportunity to ride on weekends (lessons can be
provided if inexperienced)
- Train horses (experience required)
 Requirements:
Anyone with an interest in working with horses
and children can apply. None to little experience is necessary as training will be given by
our staff horse therapist. Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn is a must!
However, Volunteers with experience are strongly encouraged to apply. Availability:
The program and the facility runs throughout the year
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