October 23, 2013
This is a post about hippotherapy, with a great recommendation for where you can receive it in North County, San Diego.
Our middle daughter receives hippotherapy – or horse-riding therapy – every week (she has multiple issues like many people with a history of epilepsy do, including spectrum-related emotional and learning disabilities).
The place she has ridden for the bulk of her childhood has been REINS, which stands for Riding Emphasizing Individual Needs and Strengths. It’s a wonderful not-for-profit that relies on its tax-exempt status and charitable donations, as well as volunteerism, to run.
It’s a safety-minded program that handles physical and mental disabilities, allowing riders to bond with these gentle giants and feel empowered while doing so. I would guess that for many in this program, riding once a week is the highlight of their day, if not their whole week.
It’s up in Fallbrook so unless you live in North County, it’s a bit of a drive – but honestly for all the years we’ve done this, the drive has been more than worth it. The Fallbrook section of the drive is lovely, and our other children have bonded with the horses as much as our rider has.
They even hold annual “Horse Shows” for everyone to compete in, which is judged by a real horse show judge.
Our daughter has won multiple-colored ribbons. The competition is designed to celebrate everyone, regardless of ability (or disability).
REINS has been such a joy for our whole family, and has definitely created so many lovely memories in the lives of our children. If you’re looking for a great local therapy, this is it! Even better if you’re looking for a worthy charity for your donation.
Thanks for looking, and happy trails to you. 😉
