Do You Agree? Horses Help People with Special Needs!

River Valley Riders’ mission is to enrich the lives of children and adults with special needs by providing equine-assisted services.

Our goals are to:

1. Improve the quality of life for our riders by providing physical, cognitive and emotional benefits through interaction with the horse. Our riders build skills through highly stimulating physical and educational activities. Their families report improved social skills at school and work and better sleep patterns at home. Their accomplishments build self-confidence and our riders are more willing to engage in new activities in our community and at home.
2. Allow people with disabilities to experience the therapeutic effects of horsemanship. A horse's gait is similar to the human walk; this three-dimensional movement is transferred from the horse to the rider and helps to strengthen spine and pelvic muscles and to improve posture and balance. Additional exercises during lessons help to improve coordination and increase flexibility.
3. Offer quality services to an increased population in need of these activities. River Valley Riders has received over 200 requests to provide services that we are unable to accommodate with our current capacity of 100 participants.

River Valley Riders was founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated volunteers who saw the positive therapeutic effects of horseback riding for people with disabilities. River Valley Riders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.

Your gift will help provide greater opportunities of equine-assisted services for people with special needs. Thank you!