Project 50: Saddle Up for Good - NC

We are supporting Shining Hope Farms with their yearly operational costs, with a focus on their Therapeutic Riding Program for people with disabilities. This program aims to improve well- being and quality of life for both the participants and their families.

The non-profit program was founded in 2002 in North Carolina in response to the needs of the community to provide therapeutic services in an enriching farm environment. It uses animals (in particular horses) as therapy to serve people with a variety of disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Developmental Disabilities, and help them to find wellness, strength, and hope on the back of a horse.​

The riding program offers a unique way of working with the daily challenges that people with disabilities face. Certified riding instructors conduct these group lessons where participants are engaged in games and activities that help with balance and coordination while riding their horses. The lessons are recreational in nature and the riders are assisted by a horse leader and sidewalkers which provide an enjoyable social environment. Basic riding and horsemanship skills are taught throughout the sessions.

The program has many benefits, including:

• Improving Physical abilities: such as increased balance, trunk control, fine and gross motor coordination, flexibility, and muscle strength

• Emotional Stability: such as improved self-image, confidence, self-esteem, and independence

• Enhancing Social Interaction: including gaining the ability to work with others, increase cooperation, teamwork, and responsibility

•Improving Cognition: such as increased attention span, motivation, vocabulary, memory, and concentration

These are essential skills that people with disabilities can build with in a nurturing environment, at their own pace, with professional support. Through continuous lessons, individuals will be able to better function in their environment, helping them to become more connected and also more independent who are better able to engage with their family, friends, and community in meaningful ways.

We want to ensure Shining Hope Farms’ programs continue and remain accessible to all who could benefit from them. By supporting their operational costs, the program can remain low cost to participants and the staff can focus on their core business of delivering interactive therapy.

We are happy to be supporting such a great program in our locality and we are exploring the possibility of volunteer opportunities for our givers within the Charlotte/Belmont area. Feel free to contact us for more info if you are interested!