About Us
OUR MISSION
The Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center (STRC) is an equine-assisted therapy organization 501(c)3 that strives to improve the lives of individuals of all age groups, including children with disabilities, through the partnership and therapeutic power of horses.
Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501C3 Arkansas non-profit organization with the federal tax identification number EIN: 84-1747932. All donations are 100% tax deductible.
The Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center (STRC) is an equine-assisted therapy organization 501(c)3 that strives to improve the lives of individuals of all age groups, including children with disabilities, through the partnership and therapeutic power of horses.
Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501C3 Arkansas non-profit organization with the federal tax identification number EIN: 84-1747932. All donations are 100% tax deductible.
THE NEED
Until 2020, there were no equine assisted therapy services available in Garland County. This is significant, as there are approximately 14,000 children under the age of 18 with at least one disability living in Garland County, and over 20% of the entire population of the county living with one or more disability. A recent study revealed that the state of Arkansas ranks number 1 in the country for early childhood trauma. 6 out of 10 children have experienced one or more life altering traumatic event. These numbers emphasize the importance and the need for equine assisted therapy services in Hot Springs.
By partnering with local, well-established therapy centers and their qualified therapists, STRC is the only nonprofit facility in Hot Springs able to offer equine-assisted service such as hippotherapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and equine-assisted learning.
OUR STORY
Sunshine was the vision of Katja Summerlin who, along with her husband, Zach, wanted her son Aiden who has Down Syndrome to have the option of accessing what she knew were the therapeutic powers of horses. Katja combined her desire to create new opportunities for growth and learning for Aiden with her life-long passion for horses and came up with the idea for STRC. Starting this center is their calling.
STRC’s goal is to be a premier equine-assisted therapy organization. By utilizing the therapeutic power of horses through equine-assisted therapy services such as hippotherapy and psychotherapy, we can positively affect the lives and families of people with disabilities and people with mental health needs.
In hippotherapy, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists use the movement of the horse to facilitate therapy for the rider. This movement encourages exceptional growth in communication, motor, sensory, and cognitive areas.
STRC recently expanded its services by adding equine-assisted psychotherapy, a unique and groundbreaking model used as a dynamic, powerful tool in mental health therapy.
STRC serves Hot Springs, Garland County, and the surrounding areas through partnerships with private therapy service providers KidSource Therapy and BY MY SIDE (Hot Springs Hand Therapy), TLC Inc (Tiffany Corjay), as well as the public schools (Lake Hamilton Special Education).