A sibling riding for the first time during E.A.S.E. Program.

How often does someone have the opportunity to ride a horse? It is a privilege to own your own horse. Historically, that was reserved for the wealthy, or the farm families, where one larger animal more easily fits into the lifestyle and amenities of a farm.

Centaur Stride has helped to open the opportunity to riding to more people. By identifying the needs of people in our community and the benefits gained through the horse, we have developed programs and methods to address those needs, whether physical, social or emotional, or a combination of all of them. Horseback riding is good for almost everybody, so our challenge is to combine people and activities to facilitate desired outcomes, whether it is improvement in family dynamics, self-worth, physical development, or just plain wellness. Mental and physical health are the foundations for the pursuit of happiness. Fees are kept to a minimum so more people can participate without undue hardship financially.

Every time someone gets on one of our horses, the smile is so contagious. Staff and volunteers get such fulfillment watching everything unfold. From the child who is too anxious to get on the horse and then finally ready (in his own time, however long it takes), to the non-verbal child who quickly learns how to tap the horse’s mane to tell him to go, to the hyperactive child who finally can sit still in one place as his sensory system calms and begins to integrate, to that child in the wheelchair, who begins to laugh those deep belly laughs as he feels the horse move, breath, and sometimes vibrate under him.

Then there are the siblings of the children with disabilities. Maybe for the first time, they are able to engage in a horseback riding program with their siblings with a disability. The purpose is to engage in activities that they can all do together and want to. That is the E.A.S.E. Growth Program (Equine assisted social-emotional) sponsored by the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene.

Sometimes a parent will need to ride to demonstrate safety to their child but just watching the faces of the parents as they watch their children interact with the horses, together, in the same place at the same time, and smiling, is priceless. Those moments are rare.

Beyond the stables, they now have activities they can talk about together. The excitement in the sibling with the disability to be able to do the same thing as his siblings is usually a new experience. The E.A.S.E. program is a respite program for the parents. Respite is meant to allow a parent to rest from the stress of caretaking and feeling better after that rest. How much better does it get than seeing all your children smiling, getting along, having fun, and reaping the benefits the horses provide? It is said that just being around horses lowers blood pressure and facilitates release of pleasure hormones. I see parents smiling, relaxing, breathing easier and fuller, and I feel so uplifted as they often thank me for making this opportunity possible. Although I am in the background most of the time now, I still feel the joy knowing exactly what they are feeling, and so proud of my dedicated staff and volunteers for continuing to make these moments possible.

The E.A.S.E. Program goes through September 2027, so register for the next start of lessons. Acceptance for participation in consecutive sessions is subject to attendance, and number of applicants.

On Facebook, there are sometimes tabs from AI that you can click on under posts. I clicked on “What is the E.A.S.E. program?” As of last week, AI didn’t know what the acronym stood for. It suggested:

— Emotional Awareness and Stability Enhancement

— Equine-Assisted Self-Empowerment

— Equine-Assisted Stress Elimination

Those are all good also.

We are still looking for a Program Director. Application is on our website under Career Page (click on the three dots in the heading bar).

There is so much more coming up so visit Centaur Stride online at linktr.ee/centaurstride (all online info in one place) for more information or follow us on Facebook: Centaur Stride Therapeutic Horseback Riding Facility. Our next fundraiser is July 15-16, “Give 716 “, an online fundraiser sponsored by the Buffalo Bills and Sabres for all WNY non-profits. There are many bonus incentives and matching grants, for amounts raised but also for the number of people who donate to each non-profits with special time incentives. https://give716.org/give/give716/give716/2026-give-716/charities/centaur-stride-inc. Thank you for your support.

Claudia Monroe is president and founder of Centaur Stride.