Horses Help is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. Each of our specialized services (Equine Adaptive Riding, Hippotherapy, Mental Health services facilitated with horses) works intimately with the client to serve their healthcare needs, mind, body, and spirit. Horses and individuals with special needs have a unique physical and emotional connection. Recently, we had a former client reach out to us on Facebook with a beautiful photo and a short note. “Wanted to send you a flash-back from 2002. Our son Trevor, who has Cerebral Palsy and was confined to a wheelchair, attended HH every week for 2 years. He eventually learned to walk, and we credit that great feat to HH. We strongly feel the horse therapy gave him the trunk support he needed to start taking those first steps. Thank you for what you do!”
It has been nearly 20 years since Trevor participated in Horses Help programs, as he is now 25 years old. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and used a wheelchair to navigate his environment. On his first day, and for months, he required three assistants next to him as he did not have the trunk strength or balance to hold himself upright. He attended every week for two years and at the end of his time he only needed one assistant. His family had modified the home with rails to support him as he moved throughout the house. One day, he came down the hall and for the first time he didn’t crawl from one railing to another, he walked. This was due to all his hard work during his sessions on horseback. We are thrilled to be welcome Trevor back to Horses Help and look forward to learning more about his journey.
Since 1987, Horses Help has provided therapeutic and recreational horsemanship programs to individuals with physical, cognitive, and behavioral challenges. We serve more than 100 clients each week during our ride year with Equine Adaptive and ground-based programs and another 80 during our summer programs that build STEM and literacy skills. Our North Phoenix, 5-acre campus is home to 16 to 18 uniquely qualified therapy horses. Our work and community is deeply supported by more than 200 specialized volunteers. We see the progress our program participants make each week but everyone on our team was thrilled to hear this wonderful story.
We will be celebrating Trevor and his journey at the 18th Annual Barn Bash. On the first Saturday of every November, we gather to share stories of challenges and triumphs and raise money and awareness for Horses Help.
Today we are one of only five therapeutic equestrian centers in Arizona accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International.), and the only in Maricopa County. The Premier Accredited Center program is voluntary and offers PATH centers the opportunity to demonstrate their excellence in providing quality, professional equine-assisted activities. With this accreditation since 2002, Horses Help is considered a regional facility, and continues to expand its reach with collaborative partnerships, increasing our impact on the communities we serve. For example, we partner with PATH International and Wounded Warrior Project to provide services to Veterans and Service Members, and we partner with StreetLightUSA and CeCe’s Hope Center to provide services to young women recovering from the trauma of sex trafficking.
To learn more about Horses Help, please visit www.horseshelp.org
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