Arena walls are painted as Old West Town for interactive games as Ripley Horse Club students learn to ride independently, with close supervision if needed.

The benefits of therapeutic horseback riding help to set the foundation for physical, cognitive and psycho-social development and enhance learning. Horseback riding facilitates improvements in: attention and concentration, sequencing and planning skills, judgment and critical thinking skills, verbal integration and participation, visual and auditory discrimination, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-control, understanding of cause and effect, social interaction, ability to solicit help, sense of empowerment, and the experience of success in a supportive environment.

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation has historically been a lifeline to improve community impact. With a grant in 1998 to prove the results of therapeutic horseback riding, schools could participate in a free pilot program called P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Reinforcements in Different Environments).

For eight consecutive weeks, four area schools were able to choose 8 students in grades three to five who were underachievers for various reasons. The students, their parents and the teachers had to fill out goal sheets where they chose three goals to improve their school performance. It could be attendance, behavior, homework completion, or any number of individualized goals.

To earn the privilege to come to Centaur Stride on their assigned day with the school, they had to meet their goals for all five days prior. Each week was a new slate, so if they missed one week, they got to start over. The students made sure they got the help they needed so they wouldn’t be “left behind!”

Attendance was 100% except for one student who was ill and insisted she needed to go to school. The mother called the barn early that day because she couldn’t console her daughter and she was running a fever and too ill to attend school. We said we would give her a gift certificate to make up for the lesson, and the student was then content to rest at home.

In 2005, we applied as a Community Based Organization for the 21st Century After School NY State Grant. We were not awarded the grant. I was working at the Dunkirk school at the time. They were awarded the grant. Unfortunately for the school, the award, expected on Jan. 1, was delayed until April 1. The money had to be used before the end of the school year in June, or it was forfeited. Most of the vendors included in the grant were unable to mobilize programs that quickly, but Centaur Stride was ready and able to begin immediately, although they were not originally included in Dunkirk’s grant. We combined programs and it was a win for the school, Centaur Stride and all the participants!

The program ran for three consecutive years under the State Grant. There were no conditions for students to attend, other than our Behavioral Code of Conduct. Even students who had behavioral problems in school could control their behaviors on the bus and at the barn or risk expulsion based on our Code of Conduct. (One test to see if behavior was part of a disability or just learned behavior is to see if it is self-controlled in different environments). Some did struggle with behavior, but all were able to bring it under control with some strategies.

The school bused the Middle School students (18 students per day for two days per week, a total of 36 different students.) Our specially designed programs were progressive and included educational components, such as Math, Geography, History and reading, and the built-in experiences of developmental skills.

The progressive program included experiential reenactments of the Oregon Trail, The Pony Express, and Survivor, all set on horseback, with groundwork, teamwork, and creative thinking. It was so much fun for everyone! Missing a session meant you fell behind the others! It was inherently competitive and at the same time motivational. The arena walls were painted to represent the Old West Towns, so it provided interactive stations.

The horses were the “driving force.” What better catalyst for change than an otherwise unavailable experiential opportunity? It was something most could never afford or experience. That’s so unfortunate because the benefits are universal and foundational.

At Centaur Stride, we strive to make it available and affordable for everyone. Healing with Horses may just be the link needed to get students back on the right track! It has proven to boost attendance in school.

Centaur Stride is now a partner with B.O.C.E.S. under the Co-Ser Program. For more information, contact us at (716)326-4318 or info@centaurstride.org or visit our website at www.centaurstride.org. Follow us on Facebook.

Claudia Monroe is president of Centaur Stride.