Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
HorseSense
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
News/Sports Photographer
Crystal is originally from Waseca, Minnesota and attended Winona State University. She enjoys reading, hiking, spending time on the water and coffee.
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
HorseSense is turning to the community for support as the demand for adaptive horseback riding lessons has increased.
COON VALLEY, Wis. (WXOW) — HorseSense is turning to the community for support as the demand for adaptive horseback riding lessons has increased.
HorseSense is a non-profit dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with and without disabilities through friendship with a horse.
They’ve been serving the Greater La Crosse community for the past 30 years, in various ways.
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
“Our biggest program right now is our adaptive riding horsemanship program. That’s kind of the bulk of what we do here,” HorseSense Lead Instructor said. “We also have a HorseSense for Heroes which serves veterans, active duty military, gold-star families and dependents.”
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
The focus of adaptive horseback riding includes physical, social, learning, sensory and psychological goals tailored to each individual rider and their unique abilities.
Like Erik O’Brien who has been going to HorseSense since he was a child.
Picture courtesy of HorseSense.
“I have a heart issue,” O’Brien explained.
He continued to say that working with horses “makes my heart rate stay in the middle.”
Now 23 years old, O’Brien does a number of tasks with the many horses on site and helps staff around the property.
HorseSense
Which is all proven to be helpful.
“The motion of the gait of the horse, simulates a lot of human’s walking and their gait,” Adams said. “If somebody has a mobility concern or is in a wheelchair or walker, the riding motion kind of stimulates those muscles and those neurons in their body to seem that they’re walking. So it’s actually a huge workout for them.”
As for O’Brien, “It help’s me relax after a long day at work.”
All of this has additional benefits, especially in building independence.
As O’Brien’s mother says “The horses have never minded if Erik told stories that were hard to understand. They didn’t mind if his speech was delayed or his balance was off.”
That’s why the nonprofit is looking for community support to help fund the Rider Scholarship Program.
“For our riders who might not have secondary assistance through the state or other tertiary programs. We don’t ever want to be a financial barrier for anybody,” Adams said. “A lot of our riders, they come to us already with financial barriers. With that medical care, child care, school – anything like that. We don’t want to be another barrier for them. We want this to be a very welcoming and open place.”
The goal this year is to raise about $7,000, which would help get between 10-15 riders out to HorseSense.
Last year, the non-profit awarded nearly $10,000 in scholarships to riders in need.
To donate, or to learn more, click here.
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News/Sports Photographer
Crystal is originally from Waseca, Minnesota and attended Winona State University. She enjoys reading, hiking, spending time on the water and coffee.
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