Spirit Ridge Equine Center
Therapeutic Riding
Therapeutic Riding:
What is Therapeutic Riding?
The personal goals set for each rider vary as much as the riders do. Improved physical strength, muscle tone, balance, mobility and hand-eye coordination are some of the visibly enhanced skills. The more subtle improvements are increased self-esteem, self-control and self-confidence. These goals are reached through a highly individualized lesson plan of learning to ride the horse with the instructor taking into account the rider's physical, emotional, and mental strengths and limitations. The increased attention, concentration, learning, and verbal skills that are inherent in learning to ride successfully lead to the magical bond with the horse, leading to improved social skills such as making new friends and respecting authority. Class are generally once a week and last about an hour.
Benefits of Therapeutic Riding:
* Improves balance and coordination
* Provides passive stretch for tight muscles
* Replicates a muscle movement pattern like that of a walk
* Improves posture
* Strengthens muscles by encouraging muscular response
* Increases awareness of one’s body in space
* Stimulates the vestibular, nervous and circulatory system
* Improves range of motion
