With the need in our community for adaptive sports and outdoor recreation for children and adults with disabilities, Southern Reins offers equine-assisted activities to promote physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.  The ability to control a horse as well as one’s own body inspires self-confidence, responsibility, teamwork, and promotes personal challenge. During each 1-hour lesson, participants learn balance, coordination and self-assurance while receiving therapeutic muscle stimulation. As a result of carefully planned lessons, posture, strength, and flexibility improve. Working with horses, participants build confidence, self-esteem, and gain a feeling of accomplishment as short and long-term goals are met.  Over the course of a 10-week session, through the development of riding skills participants also show improvement in their life skills, contributing to enhanced self-esteem, increased physical ability, and greater communication and social skills.  

 

Southern Reins subsidizes the cost of every participant who takes part in our programs, offering enrollment at a reduced cost to ensure our program is accessible and affordable for those who participate.  Through the generosity of donors, special event revenue, Session Sponsorship, and grants, we have been able to maintain a reduced rate of $50 per lesson, which is 30% of the actual cost, since our program began in 2015.  

 

Session sponsorship helps us keep our program fees affordable, enables us to allocate greater resources to growing the number of individuals we are able to serve, and contributes significantly to the longevity of our program.