I’m excited to share with you what I’ve learned recently about male vs. female saddle fit and how it might affect instructing adaptive and therapeutic horseback riding lessons! Last week I tried to attend the CHA’s virtual annual conference – I say tried because I had the kids and really only got two sessions in, … Continue reading
A Modified Independent Mount
Quite a few years ago I saw a therapeutic riding student do this modified independent mount and thought it was very clever. I recently found the graphic I drew of it and wanted to share! If I remember correctly, this particular rider had a disability that weakened the muscles in her back and legs, so … Continue reading
Alternative Programming During COVID: Renew Educational Camp
Today I’m excited to share one of the creative new programs that Renew Therapeutic Riding Center in Holland, MI, started in response to COVID’s impact on their community and center. It’s called “Renew Educational Camp” and they offer a safe place for 6th -12th graders to do their virtual schoolwork, as well as get physical … Continue reading
Methods of Record Keeping for EAAT
So far in this series on Record Keeping we have discussed Progress Notes, Assessments, and Data Tracking, focusing on what each of those are and their content, or what we record, for each. In this post I will focus on the method itself, which is the how or the physical way in which the content … Continue reading
A Few Links – Diversity in the Equine and EAAT Industry
Hello friends, it’s been a while! How has your stay-at-home been? I’ve spent most of my quarantine time being too nauseous to do anything because we’re expecting our third child at the end of the year…hence the lack of posting. However, I’m slowly starting to feel better and am getting back to life – and … Continue reading
COVID-19 Resources for Adaptive and Therapeutic Horseback Riding
Hi all, I bet your lives look a lot different right now due to COVID-19. By now many programs have temporarily shut down due to stay-at-home policies and instructors may be working from home or unable to work or doing barn work. In light of that, I want to share some resources for you and … Continue reading
Data Tracking
And we’re back to the record keeping series! Welcome to Part 4, a post is all about data tracking for therapeutic and adaptive horseback riding programs. Again, I feel like I know so little, but what I’ve learned from the instructor’s perspective is more than enough to share, so this is my best attempt. Enjoy! … Continue reading
Breathing Exercises for Anxious Riders
Today’s post was inspired by a reader who emailed me asking for ideas about breathing exercises for anxious riders in an adaptive or therapeutic riding program. She has a writer who “has developed extreme anxiety, seemingly out of nowhere (even other service providers have noticed and can’t determine why), and we’d like to have a … Continue reading
Working With Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Today we have a type of guest post by Elizabeth Curry, a mom to 12, horse owner, and volunteer at HorsePower TR. She wrote an article for HorsePower TR about working with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and has kindly agreed to share it with us! She originally posted the article on her own blog Ordinary … Continue reading
Program Retreat to the National Abilities Center
Today I am so excited to share with you an inspiring idea from Carrie Capes, the director of HorsePower TR: a program retreat to the National Abilities Center for whoever wants to come from your whole adaptive or therapeutic riding program! This is such a great way to foster community and bonding within your program, … Continue reading