Where Horses Change Lives

“I started out as a participant in a veterans’ program in Texas. After about a year, I decided I wanted to be one of those people who helped others during sessions. I come out to STRC four days a week and I can’t say enough about these kids. They’re amazing! Their laughs and their smiles will make your day! These kids don’t come out here for trail rides, they come out here to do hard work and it’s demanding. To see that measurable progress every single week is what’s in it for me and is why I do this.”

- Rachel Stanton, Chief Volunteer, Barn crew, horse leader, side walker STRC

“My son Noah had lots of words to say he just couldn’t get them out. He wasn’t pretend-playing like he should have been. Within a few weeks of the of therapy on horseback, he started pretend-playing and really blossomed. It’s amazing to witness how the words just started coming in the sentences. Therapy on horseback completely changed Noah’s life and has helped him grow into his social interactions with his friends and family and it has helped him to express himself appropriately.”

- Sarah Gersch, Parent

“My son, Patrick was struggling with constantly falling down due to a lack of core strength in his body. In our third session we could tell a difference. He was not falling anymore. He was starting to attempt to pick things up by bending over, a thing we take for granted. We quickly saw results and we’re thrilled.

Patrick is constantly moving and always bouncing from one foot to the other. But up on that horse, he’s happy and calm. He just settled in and enjoys the ride, if we didn’t make him stop, he would ride that horse all day.”

- Samantha Hallahan, Parent

“One of the beautiful things about adding horses to our therapy is that the horses are so in tune with our clients on a level that none of us therapists can reach. So many of my clients have such trauma in their background that they are unable to have close relationships or they have relationships that are so traumatic and difficult that they don’t know who to trust. Horses present to them in a non-judgmental way that is not scary, and very gentle.”

- Tiffany Corjay, Trauma Specialist, Equine Assisted Psychotherapist