Therapeutic Riding

Building Equine Assisted Mobility Into New Growth

In addition to the physical benefits that BEAMING programs set out to accomplish, our instructors incorporate behavioral, social, emotional, and educational growth activities into every lesson.

Therapeutic riding, or EAAT (Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy) refers to traditional riding or adaptive riding activities conducted by a *PATH International certified instructor.  The rider must continuously contract and relax muscles to re-balance, which ultimately improves core strength, flexibility, and balance.  These activities are done while the horse is walking, trotting, or cantering.

For individuals with learning or mental disabilities riding motivates them to increase concentration, patience, and discipline.  If a psychological or emotional disability is present, the unique relationship formed with a horse can help improve interpersonal relationships as well.

Some benefits of therapeutic riding are:

• Studies have found that horses mimic the movements of the human gait.  As a result, riding a horse can stimulate the muscles that a person uses to walk that would not have been stimulated in any other way.

• Horses are amazingly intuitive and are able to foster and develop strong emotional ties and relationships with people.

• Many people with disabilities are not able to sit up straight because of imbalance.  Horses are able to tolerate this and alter their gait to balance the rider.

• Facing day-to-day life with a disability is difficult for anyone.  Having an opportunity to look forward to something that is fun and recreational, while at the same time unwittingly therapeutic, is a very good thing.

*PATH - Professional Association Therapeutic Horsemanship