Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Hippotherapy

While each of these stables/farms comes recommended by at least three SPED PAC members, we cannot in any way guarantee the result.  It is important to check their references, review their credentials, and interview them to understand whether their skills and approach are a good fit for your child.
 
Hippotherapy is a treatment that uses specially trained physical and occupational therapists in strategies that utilizes equine movement.  Hippotherapy uses the multidimensional movement of the horse; from the Greek word "hippos" which means horse.  In the controlled hippotherapy environment, the therapist modifies the horse's movement and carefully grades sensory input. Specific riding skills are not taught (as in therapeutic horseback riding); but rather a foundation is established to improve neurological function and sensory processing of the rider.
 

Name

Town

Telephone
 

Type of program / population

Faculty,  certifications, etc.
Iron Stone Farms Andover 978-475-4056 Hippotherapy for individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities Fourteen acres, includes three homes, stables, a physical therapy arena, streams and ponds, pasture and woodland. A herd of thirty-five horses.
Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation, Inc. (WFTE) Boxford 978-682-7855 Hippotherapy for riders physically and emotionally challenged. Marjorie Kittredge, founder and president is a certified instructor of riding for the handicapped, a licensed advanced riding instructor in Massachusetts and an American Horse Show Association Dressage, Combined Training and Driving judge, as well as a former president and founding member of NARHA. (presented at SPAN meeting, 2002.)
Puritan Farm, Helping Children with Autism Ride Today (HART) Groton 978-448-9657
HARTProgram@aol.com		 Hippotherapy and recreational therapy.  Focus on individuals with Autism/PDD.
 		 The program is administered by Linwood McDaniel, a certified Occupational Therapist and early intervention specialist.  Mr. McDaniel has assembled a team of licensed therapists, special education teachers and certified riding instructors
Puritan Farm,
Rocking Horse Riding Program		 Groton 508-943-0682
rockinghorsego@yahoo.com		 Hippotherapy and recreational therapy for individuals with physical, mental, social, emotional, or learning disabled conditions.
Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Lincoln 781-259-1177 Hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding for individuals with physical, mental, social, emotional, or learning disabled conditions. Indoor ring, outdoor ring and sensory trails.  Debby Sabin Kanzer, program director is a licensed riding instructor and NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor, and a certified and licensed occupational therapis
Friends For Tomorrow Lincoln 781-259-8909

Therapeutic riding program, cart driving and animal & horse assisted learning programs for cognitive, physical, emotional, and social challenges.

Indoor and outdoor riding arena, property abuts conservation land for trial riding. All instructors are PATH Intl certified and Mass Licensed.
Flying High Farm Lunenburg 978-582-7103 Animal-assisted psychotherapy incorporates animals into the mental health and psychotherapeutic.
Specializes in mental health issues, rather than physical disabilities.		 All activities are facilitated by Christine Randle, LICSW; ARICP Licensed Riding Instructor and NARHA Certified Registered Therapeutic Instructor
Greenwood Farm Therapeutic Riding & Driving  Sherborn




 		 508-479-6232
tasnow@rcn.com		 Therapeutic riding program The lessons are conducted with a leader, two side-walkers and a NARHA certified riding instructor.  Terry Snow, NARHA Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor.  Will  helps to improve your childs communication and social skills while bonding with human and animal friends.
(Aug/05 added a program at Dana Hall School in Wellesley)
         

NARHA = North American Riding for the Handicapped Association
To find a Hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding near you, that is not on our recommend list, check the NARHA website, it has a list of their members by region/state, for Massachusetts, click here.

PATH Intl = Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

Visit the PATH Intl website, it has a list of their members by region/state, for Massachusetts, click here.

NARA has been renamed to PATH Intl 

 

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 One of our original webpages, created February 26, 2006, by Melody Orfei
Webpage last modified on December 14, 2016 - V4, by Melody Orfei
mel3sons@gmail.com