Therapeutic Horsemanship (TH) has provided award-winning equestrian therapy
programs for people with disabilities in St. Louis,
St. Charles, Lincoln County and
surrounding areas since 1975. Therapeutic Horsemanship is a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit organization
located in St. Charles County and is nationally
accredited by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association
(NARHA).
Ranked as one of the top therapeutic riding programs in the country,
our purpose is to promote horseback riding as a recreational
means for people
with disabilities who are working toward therapeutic goals. On an average, 84%
of TH clients are under the age of
18; all clients have some type of disability.
Many individuals with physical disabilities do not have access to participation in
recreational
physical activities. Horseback riding provides these individuals with this
opportunity in a safe, therapeutic environment.
TH holds three 12-week sessions per year; spring, summer and fall, plus a
shorter winter session. At TH, specially trained physical,
occupational and
speech therapists plus North American Riding for the Handicapped Association
(NARHA) certified riding instructors,
hundreds of volunteers, 24 program
horses and more than 200 clients all come together to form therapy teams.
Each member of the
team plays a unique role to ensure our clients
receive the best and most effective treatment.
The physical benefits of riding are based primarily on the movements of the horse.
The horses' rhythmical gait transfers to the client the
pelvic movements of a person
walking: back and forth, up and down, side-to-side, and rotational. This
repetitive motion helps to improve
balance, coordination, strength and muscle tone
as it gently mobilizes the joints. It can also be used for low-level cardiovascular
conditioning, especially in sedentary persons with disabilities, thereby contributing to their
overall quality of life.
Therapeutic riding classes range in cost from $350.00 - $650.00 per session, which is about
1/4 of the
actual cost.
In 1975 the program began with 15 children, last year we served 250 unduplicated
clients with over 3,000 hours of therapeutic riding.
