Program Overview

HRET is passionately committed to empowering the lives of individuals with varied physical, emotional, cognitive, and social abilities through the spirit of the horse. We are an Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) program and our directors and instructors are certified through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International.

HRET offers a variety of skill appropriate classes meeting the needs of preschoolers on our ponies to independent riders on our program safe horses. We create individual skill appropriate lesson plans to meet the needs and goals of each rider as we know that one class does not fit all! We are not just a short pony ride! With hour-long classes, we strive to create personal lessons with specialized goals to help each participant reach their full potential.

Our staff and volunteers are chosen for their compassionate hearts and desire to serve people with all abilities and backgrounds, veterans, and all other participants in our program. They undergo training to provide a safe, welcoming, and helpful experience for all our participants.

We have pony classes and horse classes!

Benefits

We feel that our longer classes allow our participants to fully experience all the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits of EAAT, and allows riders to bond with their horses and teammates. Physical benefits are obtained as the horse moves the rider’s body in a similar way to a human gait and games are played that encourage movement and strengthening. Connections and bonds are formed with nonjudgmental horses that allow riders to feel safe and gain confidence. This bond can then extend to their team, other riders, and to people outside of the arena. Horseback riding also requires focus, processing, and execution of commands which can be beneficial for people with ADD/ADHD, and learning or processing delays. These are just a few examples, and research continues to support and find new benefits that are obtained through EAAT. The best part is that all of these benefits do not just occur in the arena, but also continue to be experienced outside of the arena at school and home!