Adviser Winter 2019-20 LeadingAge New York Adviser LeadingAge NewYork Winter 2019-20 | Page 34

Feature Heritage Gallops into 2020 with New Equine Therapy Program at Homestead Stables O ne year after the opening of Heritage Ministries’ Homestead Stables, a full- service equestrian center in Gerry, staff are saddling up to provide a new service to the community in 2020: therapeutic riding. “We are excited to offer this new type of equine therapy at Homestead Stables,” said David Smeltzer, Heritage president and CEO. “Since announcing the development of the stables, we have consistently been asked if this service would be provided. We consider it a privilege to offer this service to the greater Chautauqua County community. In addition to those who will benefit directly from the therapy, this new program will provide many rewarding opportunities for volunteers to become involved in working with horses and those we will be serving.” The new Homestead Stables therapeutic riding program, officially launched in November 2019, is led by Scott Limberg, a certified therapeutic riding instructor through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International “We have been looking forward to adding therapeutic riding to our list of services that we offer and couldn’t be more excited to begin this wonderful new program....” Heather Payne, manager Homestead Stables Homestead Stables BOARDING | TRAINING | LESSONS (PATH Intl.). Instructors and participants in the program will work to enrich the lives of members of the differently-abled community. Individuals of all ages can benefit from this therapeutic process, including recovering veterans and those with physical disabilities, congenital birth defects, neurological issues, traumatic and acquired brain injuries, autism and more. Heather Payne, Homestead Stables manager, added, “We have been looking forward to adding therapeutic riding to our list of services that we offer and couldn’t be more excited to begin this wonderful new program. Through carefully planned lessons, riders learn balance, coordination and self-assurance, as well as improve social skills and sensory stimulation. The benefits of therapeutic riding have been acknowledged for a long time; working with horses can have a major physical and emotional impact on people.” No stranger to horses as therapeutic tools, Homestead Stables began offering non- riding-based Equine Assisted Therapy in late 2018 through a partnership with Dawn Samuelson and the N.E.I.G.H. (National Equine Institute of Growth through Healing) program. N.E.I.G.H. works to empower individuals by equipping them with the tools necessary to improve communication, confidence, respect and goal setting, using the emotional relationship between horses and humans as a tool in instruction in working with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotional trauma. (See Heritage Gallops Into 2020 on page 34) 33 Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2019-20