Statement of Intent:
Equest Therapeutic Riding Center is developing new services for disabled veterans and their immediate family members living in Maine. Proven results from other pioneering therapeutic riding programs show that disabled veterans may derive significant benefits from adaptive riding or driving programs which assist them in their recovery from injury and stress, as well as aid them in the transition back into their communities following military service.
Project Description:
In an effort to give back to those who have served our country, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) has created the NARHA Horses for Heroes Program to serve disabled veterans. Equest’s Veterans Program, under the auspice of NARHA’s Horses for Heroes Program, will be piloted in the summer of 2008. This program will be available to all disabled veterans living in Maine. Equest is collaborating with Togus VA Medical Center, the Sanford offices of Disabled American Veterans, and the Bureau of Veterans Affairs to establish an initial client base of 12-16 Maine-based veterans with disabling conditions which may include, but are not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and amputation. Additionally, Equest is recruiting and training able-bodied veterans to offer peer support and assist as volunteers in this program.
This is a grant-funded pilot program in which veterans and their immediate family members may participate free of charge. Equest’s Veterans Program will provide access to any of Equest’s ongoing programs such as Therapeutic Riding, Therapeutic Carriage Driving, and Therapeutic Grooming. Participants may come with a group or enroll in hour-long semi-private weekly sessions. Mounted activities will take place in either the farm’s outside arena, or in the covered arena, which are each accessible to riders with ramped mounting stations (including a lift in our covered arena to ensure safe and proper mounts/dismounts for individuals with severe disabilities). Also available will be Equest’s therapy room that can be used for traditional therapy either immediately before or after mounted activities.
With the help of adaptive equipment, specially trained horses, on-staff Occupational Therapists, and nationally certified instructors, Equest’s Veterans Program will give disabled Maine veterans an opportunity to learn a new sport and successfully master a new skill, while providing a foundation for a positive self-image, improved physical well-being, and a brighter outlook in light of sudden traumatic changes that have significantly impacted them and their families.
