Pony Pals
Pony Pals horse visits share the benefits of interacting with our U.K. Shetland therapy pony, Clyde, for groups who are unable to visit our facility. Pony Pals visits are offered to assisted living facilities, nursing homes, grief and therapy centers, rehabilitation centers, memory care facilities, and local schools.
Pony Pals visits share the joy of being around a horse. Interacting with our ponies can ignite positive memories for individuals with traumatic brain injury, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, provide comfort and reduce feelings of anxiety or stress for people suffering from trauma, and improve the emotional well-being of everyone who interacts with our gentle therapy pony, Clyde.
Visits are scheduled for up to 1 hour to locations within 20 miles of Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy and are scheduled for groups up to 20 people. Multiple groups may participate during one site visit, but groups may not be more than 20 people at one time. All visitor interactions with Clyde will be coordinated with our onsite staff. Pony Pal participants should have seating and remain in a group until invited to meet our pony, giving every individual the opportunity to share a wonderful experience with Clyde.
Pony Pals visits are supervised by a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. The program serves individuals age 5 and up. Closed-toe shoes are required to interact with Clyde, but exceptions will be made for participants who use wheelchairs or may be bedridden and interactions will be under the direct supervision and guidance of Southern Reins' staff. To ensure the safety of our therapy pony, we are unable to bring him up or down stairs or in an elevator, so a ramp or ground-level access to the visit area is required. Dogs and other pets may not be in the visit area. Site visit locations are required to complete an Equine Visit Release and Liability Agreement.
Pony Pals is offered for a flat rate of $250 and visits may be scheduled throughout the year. Southern Reins is honored to have the support of the Rotary Club of Collierville who generously sponsored 6 visits in Collierville in 2023.
For more information, contact Sara Zurenko, Program Director: Sara.Zurenko@southernreins.org.
Southern Reins Center for Equine Therapy is a Premier Accredited Center by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.). PATH Intl. premier accreditation assists the public in selecting quality centers that deliver safe equestrian services and certifies that a member organization has achieved industry standards for equine-assisted services for individuals with special needs. Southern Reins is the only Premier Accredited Center in the greater Memphis area and is one of only three in the state of Tennessee, joining the top tier of centers across the country who have received premier accredited status.
