WHO: The Equest Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit therapeuticriding program serving over 125 children and adults with disabilities each year.Equest believes that all people have a right to access opportunities, which helpthem attain physical, mental and emotional well-being. Disabled people in SouthernMaine have limited geographical and financial access to such opportunities. Asa Premier Accredited Center of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA), Equest's mission is to provide affordable, accessible and effective equine-facilitatedtherapies within an exceptional learning environment that supports individualswith disabilities in reaching their fullest potential.

WHAT: Equest provides Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy, Therapeutic Grooming, and Therapeutic Driving to individuals diagnosed with a physical, cognitive, or emotional disability that range in age from 2-75+. Equest's staff are nationally certified as therapeutic riding instructors through NARHA and our licensed occupational therapists are dually certified as NARHA therapeutic riding instructors and American Hippotherapy Association therapists. We provide a safe, inclusive, and professional program to address a variety of challenges. With the help of trained therapy horses and a team of instructors, therapists, and volunteers, students are taught the foundations of equine behavior, horse care, and horsemanship skills appropriate to their age, needs, and level of ability. In so doing, riders with disabilities have an opportunity to experience the benefits that are unique to equine-facilitated therapy. With a therapy horse's non-judgmental approach, quiet trust, and sense of play, students are highly motivated to learn and grow.

WHERE: Equest is located at Spring Creek Farm in Lyman, Maine with 150 acres of field and forest offering a peaceful and nurturing setting. The unique sights, smells, and sounds of the farm environment are a refreshing departure from a conventional clinical setting and provide a great opportunity for multi-sensory processing and experiential learning. Equest's facilities include a professional office space, two outdoor riding arenas, a covered riding arena and wooded trials.
WHY: One of the most fascinating, yet unknown, aspects of therapeutic riding is that the walking motion of a horse more closely resembles the human walking gait than any other movement known to us. In fact, even with all the technological advances made in the field of physical therapy, no one has been able to replicate this movement on a machine. Combined with other therapies, Equest is playing an important complementary role in helping students make significant improvements, resulting in greater functional skills and overall life enhancement.

• For individuals with physical disabilities, the rhythmical walking motion of the horse closely simulates a person's walking gait, and students experience improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. With greater freedom of movement comes an increase in self-esteem, confidence, personal mobility and independence.
  
• For individuals with cognitive disabilities, therapeutic riding offers a motivational opportunity to improve their concentration, attention span, memory, and language skill development.
  
• For individuals with behavioral and emotional challenges, the positive horse and human interaction experienced through therapeutic riding can result in a greater sense of teamwork, responsibility and communication. As the bond develops, so does the student's ability to take risks and deal with both success and failure.

WHEN: Equest operates 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, between the months of April and November. We offer three semesters - Spring, Summer, and Fall.

VOLUNTEERING: Each year over 250 dedicated volunteers help us in a variety of ways, ranging from sidewalking with our riders, to office and event help, to barn maintenance. We offer periodic volunteer trainings throughout the year.

KEEPING OUR SERVICES CHARITABLE: Equest is committed to providing charitable and affordable access to our therapeutic equine-assisted services. All of Equest's students are supported by below-tuition costs and many receive addition financial aid. Lesson fees cover less than 30% of our expenses, and therefore we rely on the generosity of individual donors, corporations, and foundations to defray daily operational costs and raise needed funds for scholarships.