A Falconer special education class works on sensory-motor experiences with the horses.

Finding partners in therapy, growth

Nationally, funding for services that support people with disabilities is shifting in unpredictable ways.

Centaur Stride was built from passion and perseverance, with only one government grant to improve wheelchair accessibility 10 years after we opened. Centaur Stride has always operated from a position of addressing the needs of our community and never giving up. And now, more than ever, it deserves attention and a call to action. Because this place is more than a facility. It is a solution still relatively unknown.

Centaur Stride operates from a philosophy built on inclusion, integration, and the belief that every person deserves a place where they feel like they belong, naturally. Not forced, superficial or fake.

I’ve always been fascinated by how the brain works. In college, I learned so many treatment approaches, each glossed over in a short lecture. But a 320-hour deep dive into Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Techniques (NDT) reshaped everything I thought I \knew. NDT revealed the intricate dance between movement and functional gains.

Still, even with the advanced knowledge and the best techniques, something was missing.

Later, a course in Sensory Integration seemed to complete the picture. Motor control and sensory processing are inseparable. But the challenge remained: How can any single therapist (two hands), address posture, movement, sensory regulation, attention, and participation in a maximum of two short weekly sessions, within the confines of insurance and school limitations?

The answer appeared on four legs. And that’s where horses come in.

Horses, with their extraordinary sensory awareness and innate emotional intelligence, meet people exactly where they are. They become partners in therapy, in growth, and in connection, offering a sense of belonging that few environments can match.

Therapeutic horseback riding didn’t just add to my toolkit, it transformed it.

The horse became a source of natural, rhythmic, multidimensional movement, a sensory environment unmatched in any other setting, and an emotional bridge that children and adults could trust.

The outcomes from therapeutic horseback riding were profound. Once I saw what was possible, I couldn’t imagine anything less. I kept thinking: Who helps the parent of a child with a disability, whether it can be seen or not? If there is a solution possible, what does it take to make it happen? Caregiving is never ending and exhausting. I have direct experience.

That became my mission. Thirty-three years ago, the vision of an accessible, affordable therapeutic riding center took root. Today, Centaur Stride continues to grow that vision, quietly, persistently, and with enormous heart, now with Holly Reslink, DPT, as my successor.

The potential is almost limitless. Programs rooted in horses and nature can support physical health, emotional wellness, social development, mental resilience, and cognitive growth. With the proper support of staff, volunteers, community partners, and of course, the horses, we can expand services while lowering per capita operating expenses and improving our sustainability.

So Why Aren’t More Schools Taking Advantage?

For years, logistical and financial barriers kept local rural schools at a distance. Yet at other established centers, downstate, some near NYC, school buses lined up from morning to afternoon, bringing students who received exceptional support the schools couldn’t provide on their own.

Even while I worked within BOCES and district school systems, advocacy received no response, except for one 3 year after-school program with the Dunkirk School District. I happened to be in the right place at the right time under the right conditions. Other than that, riders mostly came from private referrals or agencies supporting adults with disabilities.

Centaur Stride is now a BOCES Co-Ser partner vendor. That means schools can receive substantial reimbursement for field trips and services.

Early childhood development has critical windows. Missing these opportunities isn’t just unfortunate, it’s heartbreaking. I have always shared Centaur Stride with families, not for financial gain, our nonprofit status makes that clear, but because I watched IEP goals come to life here, faster and with more joy, when combined with traditional school therapy.

Centaur Stride is still here because of grace, community, and unwavering belief. And families return year after year, because they see the difference.

Horses are extraordinary therapeutic partners. They are sensitive, intuitive, deeply aware, and living entirely in the present. They are wired for connection and survival. They read intention, not appearance. They respond to authenticity, not perfection. They mirror emotions and energy, offering feedback no human word could match. “Show don’t tell” is well practiced.

Their physical movement benefits riders: strengthening the core, improving balance, enhancing motor planning. Emotional presence reaches even deeper.

Sometimes that feeling of being understood without explanation is all a person needs to finally feel like they belong. Just accepted. Just themselves.

It is time to embrace its full potential and recognize the treasure we have right here, in our own backyard.

November 29 is small business day. Gift certificates are available, only $35 per lesson. They are great gifts. Also please support our Holiday Raffle, Dec 13 & 14 at the Mayville Holiday Market at the old school, 2 Academy St. Drawing is Dec 14 at 1 pm. Tickets can also be purchased online tthrough linktr.eecentaurstride.

Claudia Monroe is co-founder and President of Centaur Stride.