Besides the sheer fun of it...

a huge dose of self-confidence comes with riding and horse-related activities!

Therapeutic Riding helps raise self-esteem, but it also teaches special needs students essential skills. It improves balance, builds trust, and starts a friendship with horse, rider, and volunteer. Students forget they're having physical therapy and lose themselves in the fun!

 

Located near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, The Shining Stars Ministry was established to provide therapeutic programs to children, adults and families in order to improve physical, mental, emotional and social areas of their lives.

The organization strives to offer programs with a heart to help people find their place in God’s Plan.

About Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic Riding has been in the United States since the 1950's. It was found that it strengthened polio patients and increased their balance. Today, it is a tool used to help those with physical, learning, and emotional disabilities.Many riders experience a connection to the horse that inspires trust and self-confidence.

The motion of a horse is actually a three-dimensional movement. It's up and down, side to side, and front to back, just like the human walk, and therefore, it rehabilitates the student. It's almost as if they were walking themselves—their body moves the same way and the pelvic motion is the same as the horse.

Therapeutic riding helps adults and children get the rehabilitative therapy they need.
They don't even realize that they're getting physical therapy—they're just having a really good time and a lot of fun while they're doing it. Physical therapy like that can't be found in a classroom or a doctor's office. It's an awesome experience for anyone involved with it.

Therapeutic riding can help to:

• develop mobility, balance & coordination
• improve muscle tone & strength
• increase concentration & improve learning skills
• offer a challenging recreational activity
• foster independence & achievement
• develop self confidence & motivation
• become a means of movement for those unable to walk

For enrollment information or to volunteer contact us.