WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – Surrounded by open sky and gently rolling hills, just a few miles from Woodbury, River Valley Riders (RVR) has offered equine-assisted services to people with special needs for a quarter century.
Horse, rider, and volunteer are the three main characters in this story. As the participants become familiar with the horse, they learn to communicate with the horse through reining skills and voice commands.
Children as young as four mounted on a horse have a volunteer walking alongside and another leading the horse. “The reason depends on the individual. Some of them may not have the core strength to sit upright,” explains Stacy McDonald, RVR’s development director and one of the few part-time, paid employees. “They may be afraid or their motor skills are not finely developed.”
Since it opened in 1999, initially at the Washington County Fairgrounds, the Afton-based RVR has also offered a carriage driving program. The participant and the instructor sit in the carriage and are responsible for keeping the horse in control as it pulls the carriage over a designated path.
Kathy Jo Hanson, chief financial officer said, special reins are used if needed. “This gives them some control and helps them understand what they need to do. There is always an instructor sitting in the carriage who is in control of the reins.”
Carriage instructors have undergone training and instructional guidelines from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. “Ours is the only PATH International program in the upper Midwest.”
RVR says the benefits of their therapeutic services include:
Physical Benefits: The gentle three-dimensional movement of the horse, which simulates human walking, serves to strengthen core body muscles, improve posture and coordination, and increase overall balance and joint mobility.
Social Skills: As the rider/driver learns to control the horse there is a feeling of true accomplishment. This personal achievement translates into improved self-confidence and self-esteem.
Communication Abilities: The riding/driving experience stimulates language and learning. The rider/driver develops the ability to listen to instructions and communicate directions to the horse.
Planned Expansions
In early June, RVR held a ceremony to celebrate its 25th anniversary and the completion of its second phase of its site building.
The new site has a large heated and air-conditioned indoor area with a gentle sloping path that makes it easier to mount a horse. There is a glass-paneled viewing area where parents can watch their child’s progress. Office space and indoor bathrooms were also added.
RVR board members proudly point out their policy of fundraising first and building later. “RVR is incredibly careful with its money,” McDonald said.
Board members are raising about $6 million for their next phase, building stables for 12 horses.
Horses are now stabled by volunteers at area farms and brought to the RVR site for therapeutic riding and driving sessions. RVR also plans to add therapy rooms, classrooms, and office space. RVR partners with local schools to offer special education students their equine-assisted services. Fees are charged, but some need-based financial aid is available.
Over 200 volunteers fuel the organization, including board member Terry L. Smith, a retired 3M scientist, who helps out whenever and wherever he can. “The staff here is amazing, we get things done,” Smith said.