Who's associated with a rescue or equine assisted therapy organization?

I would love to hear about your efforts and stories.

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That's really something - horses are such a mirror - but what a novel concept to hold them up as a mirror in this context!
I'm Director of the Equihab Foundation in the town of North East, Maryland. It's the most rewarding volunteer job I've ever had!

At the moment Equihab needs reliable adult volunteers. Fosters willing to care for a horse for at least a few months are also needed.

Equihab does not do therapy, but we'd be willing to waive the adoption fees to a qualified non-profit equine therapy program in the region (provided the horse comes back to us when you're done). I've personally worked for a NARHA program in another part of the county, which was great. I wish we could do it, but until we get the funding for a large central shelter, it's a space issue. One of our Board member is also a NARHA certified instructor, and she'd love to get involved in it here.

Our next event is Paws on Parade in Perryville, MD on the 24th at the Perryville Outlet Center.

One of our members also entered a video in the ABR Video contest which ends April 19th. If it has the most views on the 19th, a $1,000 donation will be given to the rescue of choice, and he named Equihab. Please check it out (it is NOT graphic of offensive): Fritz's Food http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGSuLcx5UME

And in June, we have a local woman who does Quarter Auctions. She named us as recipient of the funds she raises on her June 4th Quarter Mania Auction at Calvert Grange in Rising Sun. Our job is to bring people to attend, so if you're local I hope you can make it. Lots of neat, new items you can "win" for just a bid of 1, 2, or 3 quarters.
May, I always scour the rescues for horses for our program. Equihab included!
Thanks for visiting Equihab's site!

I'd like to do more to help organizations like yours. Unfortunately distance makes it difficult. You're over 230 miles and two states away from us, so sending a horse to you probably wouldn't work out. If there's any other way you can think of that Equihab can help you, please don't hesitate to ask.
This is something that is really important to Special Horses, Inc and to my program May. One of the biggest issues EAA/T programs face (other than funding of course!) is finding suitable horses. So we want to work closely with rescues to help learn how to evaluate and screen horses for potential use in programs and get them connections in their area.

By working together there is great promise that we can help horses and the special needs community at the same time. That is a win-win for sure!
I would like to help more therapy programs out. But the obstacle I am finding locally is that they want to be able to resell any & all horses they're given. They don't want to return it if it doesn't work out, isn't needed, goes lame, whatever. I can only assume they're looking at that potential sales prices as income for their program. But from out point of view, we can't invest all this energy into rehabbing & placing horses just to find they've vanished into the open horse market a short time later.

Do you have any suggestions for finding therapy programs in the mid-Atlantic who might need a quiet horse AND who will return him if at some point they no longer want him?
See, in my eyes selling the horse is not an option. What does a retired school horse bring at 22+? $300-$500? For what they give, they deserve better than to face that.

We have an established protocol for retirement of our program horses. Usually there is a list a mile long of amazing volunteer families who want their "favorite" horse. And if not? Then they retire here. But to have the option to return an older horse who is no longer suitable to a comfortable retirement sounds like a good thing, not something to be looked at as a negative.

Frankly if a program is only using horses for riding they are missing out on tremendous asset...the retired horse. Most retired horses still enjoy "working" and that work can include showmanship, basic horsemanship, visiting programs and so much more.

Let me look into some programs in your area and see what we can come up with. There are plenty of programs like ours out there May, and I would love to help you get connected!

Colleen
That would be awesome if you can come up with suggestions or names of programs to work with. Thank you so much.
This is something Colleen and I have tossed around quite a bit. It is one way to extend the useful life of a horse - because they certainly don't need to be rideable to be fabulous therapy animals. They still have so much to offer! It is one of our future goals besides the emergency response program.
I have been a volunteer for the North Okanagan Therapeutic Riding Association for the past 4 years and began instructing last fall. We are located out in British Columbia, Canada and run two sessions a year - spring for 8 weeks and fall for 7 weeks. It is a great opportunity for the disabled riders and we cater to both children and adults. One of our challenges is that we don't own our location and rely on good weather to run our program outdoors. The smiles and progress of the riders is what makes the work rewarding....no matter how bad a day I thought I might have been having, after spending time with these clients puts life in perspective and I always leave the ranch with a smile in my heart!
Borrow Freedom has their own location but it is also all outdoors...but still, what you can accomplish, it's fabulous.
Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals started a sponsorship program of the 18 horses at C.A.R.D.
We did this to help the horses have full access to our products to keep them healthy and sound, before C.A.R.D. did not always have the budget to provide for each horse's individual needs, this is something Dr. Chang was happy to offer them.

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