Joe has been riding for about 10 years now after his family signed him up at the age of 2. “I immediately felt at home,” says his mother, Kristi, about her first experience with the Early Childhood program. For her, We Can Ride serves as a place where she can connect with other parents and caregivers – a place where she can give and receive advice from others with similar situations. For Joe, We Can Ride serves as a place where he can build endurance, strengthen core muscles, gain independence and practice speech.
“It really makes him work hard and shows him that he can do it,” says Kristi about her son. Of course our herd of horses, our amazing volunteer crew and phenomenal staff deserve a pat on the back, but it’s also crucial that we recognize the amount of work each rider must put in at each lesson. This is a form of therapy that can be fun and interactive, all while improving the lives of our riders and showing them what they’re truly capable of doing.
To many of our riders and their families, We Can Ride is a place where they can feel like a typical family- if there is such a thing. Kristi notes that, “there are not a lot of activities people with disabilities can participate in,” but rather, “he can benefit and enjoy this for a very long time!”
