Horse therapy helps riders reach their full potential

Grants Pass, Oregon – You may have heard the saying that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human. At Crossing Bridges Therapeutic Riding Center, riders and helpers get a chance to witness that every day.

Those who live with physical or cognitive disabilities easily feel “othered” when compared to the activities their non-disabled friends enjoy. This is where the horses come in: using special tack, and several helpers to walk the horse and steady the rider as needed, horseback riding is possible for almost anybody, and it can also become part of a physical therapy regimen that helps preserve joint range of motion, limit spasticity and sometimes even help language development.

Sitting astride a warm horse that quietly lumbers around an arena moves the rider’s body in a gentle, predictable, rhythmic manner. This movement helps the rider stay flexible – like a gentle, warm, massage – and build motor skills and balance.

At Crossing Bridges, which recently received a grant from the Avista foundation, riders with cognitive challenges such as learning delays or fetal alcohol syndrome, learn better mental processing, hand-eye coordination and how to better tolerate multi-tasking without feeling overstimulated. They focus on building confidence and self-esteem, and do so while making friends with a warm, cuddly horse.

It wasn’t like this until Danish dressage rider Lis Hartel came around in the 1940’s. Hartel had polio and was paralyzed below the knees. At the 1952 Olympic Games in Finland, she became the first woman to win an Olympic equestrian medal by taking silver against her able-bodied and mostly male competitors. Few knew she was disabled until one of her competitors helped steady her on to the podium – and she became an instant media darling. She always credited horseback riding for keeping her body as mobile and flexible as possible, and she helped normalize riding for people with disabilities because she continued to train others, ride, and win medals for the rest of her life.

The focus at Crossing Bridges is not on winning medals – though able-bodied riders are welcome for lessons and training – it’s on building confidence and self-esteem. Horses like Riata, Sydney and Faith are picked especially for the program because they are calm and predictable, even when the rider is a little scared or off balance. On their broad backs, riding becomes a safe activity that helps the rider reach their full potential.

At Avista, we recognize our unique position gives us the chance to contribute in an impactful way and make a real difference in people’s lives. Since 2002, the Avista Foundation has made grants totaling over $13 million to organizations that support vulnerable and limited income populations, education, and economic and cultural vitality. The foundation is a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp., and does not receive funding from Avista Utilities’ customers through rates. For more information on grant applications and geographical areas covered, please visit avistafoundation.com.