H.A.L.T.E.R. is committed to the following goals:
1. To provide therapy to all who need it through equine assisted activities.
2. To provide training for those who want to ride for exercise, recreation or sport.
3. To provide vocational training for those who want to learn to work with horses and seek employment in the horse industry.

Therapeutic horseback riding provides benefits in the areas of recreation and sport, education, and medicine. A quote from the late President Reagan says it best - “There is something about the outside of a horse that does something for the inside of a man.” The horse is the therapeutic tool that can be used by physical, occupational, speech, and psycho-therapist to help their clients reach their goals quicker.

Individuals of all ages, with a wide range of physical, cognitive, and/or emotional disabilities benefit from therapeutic horseback riding and other equine activities. The types of disabilities and conditions served include: amputations, autism, brain injuries, stroke, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, emotional disabilities, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, mental retardation, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries and visual impairments.

Program Benefits:
The benefits of therapeutic riding are as numerous as the types of disabilities served. Studies have shown that patients with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders have shown improvements when addressed with Equine Therapy. A horse’s pelvis moves in a triplaner motion at a walk, which is the same as a human’s. This movement simulates and helps facilitate a normal gait pattern in patients with ambulation dysfunction. Riding can help enhance sensorimotor abilities, which result in improved balance and equilibrium reactions, motor planning abilities, mobility and function. In layman’s terms, the gait pattern of a horse can give walking-impaired riders the sensation that they are actually walking. Parents of children with ambulation dysfunction who have participated in the HALTER riding program have observed improvements in muscle tone, balance, and self-esteem in their children. Riders confined to a wheelchair have often displayed an emotional “euphoria” when they are given the freedom of mobility offered by equine therapy. Parents with children that are autistic have commented that their children have shown improvements in concentration and communication skills while participating in the HALTER program.

There are other benefits to our program that are not strictly therapeutic. For many special needs citizens, it is a viable outlet for recreation and sport. A close bond quickly develops between horse and rider, which encourages clients to ride regularly. Normal health issues such as body weight, heart disease, and high blood pressure can be successfully addressed with this program. H.A.L.T.E.R. provides a unique avenue of recreation and fellowship to citizens with special needs.