River Valley Riders
Non-profit utilizes equine and human volunteers to serve those with
special needs
River Valley Riders’ mission is to enrich the lives of children and
adults with special needs by providing equine assisted activities and
therapies. Founded in 1999 and a member
organization of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International (PATH Intl.), RVR welcomes riders from the St. Paul/Minneapolis
metropolitan area and western Wisconsin.
RVR offers
therapeutic horseback riding and carriage driving lessons, taught by certified
instructors, to people with disabilities. Benefits of these activities include
physical improvements as well as cognitive and emotional growth. RVR serves children and adults with
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, developmental delay,
visual impairments, emotional challenges, multiple sclerosis, muscular
dystrophy, traumatic brain injury, attention deficit disorder, and paralysis as
well as other types of disabilities.
The overall goal of RVR’s current activities
is to allow children and adults with special needs to experience the therapeutic
effects of either riding a horse or driving a carriage. A horse's gait is similar to the human
walk. While riding, this three-dimensional movement is transferred from the
horse to the rider and helps to strengthen spine and pelvic muscles and to
improve posture and balance.
Therapeutic riding offers additional
benefits, as shared by the parents of a rider:
10 years ago in our continuing efforts
to find fun and therapeutic activities for our daughter with a severe
developmental disability, we stumbled upon therapeutic riding and RVR. But most
importantly over the years with RVR’s amazing dedicated volunteers, both people
and horses (too many to name), our daughter found herself. Wednesdays from spring to fall has been
the night our shy little girl has grown and found better coordination,
confidence, pride in her accomplishments and new friends. She looks so forward
to these evenings! RVR is all volunteer run, serving so many with passion and
commitment. ~written
by Dennis and Susan Kane
These efforts are only possible with
the contributions from over 200 dedicated volunteers who receive training to
help the riders as horse leaders or sidewalkers. Volunteer horse owners also share the use of their 25
exceptional horses and ponies. Program
horses are evaluated for a calm disposition and quality of movement. A couple
of the RVR horse owners have participated in ACTHA CTC’s. Therapeutic riding horses and great
trail horses share many qualities.
Both jobs require that a horse be confident, trusting and tolerant. They are comfortable and stay calm when
experiencing new things.
RVR enjoys strong community support and
relies on the generous financial donations of individuals, businesses, and
foundations to provide and expand opportunities for its services. In 2009, RVR
purchased 38 acres of land in Afton, MN with the vision to develop a full
equestrian facility including indoor arena, barn, pastures and support
buildings. Currently an outdoor lighted arena enables RVR to offer programs
from mid April to late October. The new facilities will allow the organization
to offer services year round, to expand its riding and carriage driving
programs and also offer other types of equine facilitated therapies and
activities.
For more information about volunteering
or to support the mission of RVR, please visit www.rivervalleyriders.org or call 651-439-2558.
