Video made by Zoe Weaver.
Ride with Us
CTREE provides therapeutic riding lessons and equine assisted services to children and adults with cognitive, physical and emotional challenges, including, but not limited to ADD/ADHD, Aspergers, autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, emotional disability, learning disabilities, stroke, and visual impairments.
Our Riding Progam
CTREE offers private and semi-private lessons in 8 - 10 week sessions, year round. Summer sessions may be shorter. Lessons include basic riding skills, exercises, games, grooming and tacking. CTREE also offers equine assisted services for cancer survivors, and school groups.
View the lesson schedule.
The Benefits of Therapeutic Riding
Therapeutic horseback riding and ground horsemanship are recreational and sport-based activities that naturally complement one another. The program teaches both riding and unmounted horse skills to children and adults. Participants are able to learn riding skills in a safe and judgement free environment that is empowering and fun.
On the ground, the participant is able to tend to their horse and experience a stronger bond than riding alone. Participants learn about horse anatomy, grooming, first aid and healthcare, feeding and watering, leading and lunging, and horse breeds and colors and history.
Other benefits include physical improvements like increase in core strength and fine motor skills; cognitive improvements like increase in ability to perform multi-step directions; emotional improvements like the increase ability in self-regulation, and social skills such as an increase in confidence to communicate with peers.
Physical
The horse’s movement has a dynamic effect on the participant’s body. The motion of the horse stimulates the participant’s pelvis and trunk in a manner that closely resembles the normal gait of a human walking. This input can produce specific physical changes in the participant’s body, including normalization of muscle tone, increased endurance, and improvements in posture, balance, and coordination.
Sensory
The horse and the riding environment offer a wide variety of sensory integration experiences for participants. The movement of the horse provides valuable vestibular and proprioceptive input. The many sights and sounds, scents and tactile experiences encountered in the riding program all contribute to a multi-dimensional sensory experience that can have profound benefits for participant.
Emotional
The success of overcoming fear and anxiety, and the ability to achieve riding and other related skills help individuals to realize self-worth and increase self-esteem. The companion-animal bonding and development of new skills are all critical components to the success of the experience. Relationships develop between participants, volunteers, horses, and staff and are all an integral part of a positive, emotional experience.
Cognitive
Communicating with the horse provides a strong motivator for participants. Riding lessons incorporate activities and games on horseback designed to help attain specific goals such as following multi-step directions, staying on task, color, number and letter recognition, right/left identification/coordination, and reinforcing existing skills as well as learning new ones.
Social
Therapeutic riding programs and their associated activities provide an excellent opportunity for participants to interact with their peers, family members, program volunteers and staff in a positive and enjoyable environment.
Apply
Applicants must submit completed CTREE application forms and will be scheduled for an evaluation which consists of a tour of the facility and a short riding session. All evaluations are conducted by a certified PATH Intl. instructor and trained volunteers. Following the evaluation, the staff will assess the applicant’s eligibility.
CTREE will make eve1y effort to meet the needs of all participants who apply for therapeutic riding or equine assisted activities. However, the nature of these activities includes limitations, precautions and occasionally contraindications. See our Eligibility Requirements and Guidelines on our application page.
To inquire more about our programs, or if you have any questions regarding rider eligibility, please contact us at program@ctreeny.org or 631.779.2835.
To apply, see our guidelines and fill out the application.
Take a Deeper Look
Take a deeper look into CTREE and our programs. Watch the video!
Video created by Zoe Weaver
