Therapeutic Riding During a Pandemic W
Susan Miller - Sharon, VT
e’ve been dealing with some strange and uncertain times just lately with the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though High Horses had to close its doors for a while and restructure. We took the time to revise our services, devised plans for safely phasing back our riders which is still a work in progress. We are delighted to see that the community has a need for our services. Even in the midst of a pandemic we are gaining new riders wanting to join our programming. We are coming back stronger than ever. It is with heartfelt thanks to our supporters that we continue to move forward. We have discovered that High Horses is a moving experience in so many ways, whether riding or bonding with the horses and volunteers. It’s more than just a ride. High Horses is a place of inclusion, where its normal to be different, it’s even appreciated, the barn is a place to come for alternative approaches to wellness.
20 4 Legs & a Tail
We have been working hard to come up with new programming that can help during the odd lifestyle changes we are navigating with family’s home more and the uncertainty of kids going back to school. We are aware that some families may be choosing to home school with the demands of new work schedules. High Horses has two great new offerings. We have virtual lesson programs where students can learn about horses by taking a virtual lesson. In a virtual lesson, you can learn about yoga that is good for riding, learn about horses’ colors & markings and enjoy Storytime with one of our horses too. Our virtual lesson program continues to expand. This fall High Horses is also planning a morning class at the farm where small units of school-age children from the same family or neighborhood can come to learn about the horses for hands-on experience. No more than 6 children at a time. There is no riding offered in this program, but many opportunities to interact with the horses and learn about them. We will offer parents a comfortable quiet area with the internet to relax or get some work done while the kids enjoy a learning environment. There will be coffee and water available. We continue to offer our SAGE program on Thursday evening for anyone that is dealing with chronic illness, especially cancer. A group of no more than 8 can sign up each week to explore experiential learning utilizing the power of the horse for regaining strength and a sense of peace. Other modalities like Yoga, music, aromatherapy, journaling, etc… may also be incorporated. We of course are still offering all of our other programs as well. Our Hippotherapy program now offers Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy & Speech Language Pathology. We are excited to now be offering all three of these much-needed modalities in an environment other than a clinical setting. Hippotherapy is a service that is prescribed by a physician and is a modality that is used as part of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional goals. We continue to offer the Unbridled Freedom Program for veterans. The Vermont Veterans Affairs Department in White River junction can help veterans enjoy time horseback by paying for the first 10 visits and finding other grants. Both our therapeutic riding and Connections Fall 2020
