Zoo mommies and babies
News hounds (11/20/08)
Ohio State vs. Michigan past games
Get latest headlines via RSS feeds
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Y! MyWebFundraiser to benefit horse therapy program for children
Monday, September 08, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — A Clark County organization will soon be helping children saddle up to a unique form of therapy.
The Steps To Your Dreams Foundation in South Charleston will provide hippotherapy — therapy using horses — to qualified children.
"I wanted to help the children in our community and the families," said Amanda Deal, president of Steps To Your Dreams, which was founded in March.
Deal and physical therapist Ralph Shearer established the nonprofit foundation.
"I always wanted to do hippotherapy, but it was too difficult, financially," said Shearer.
"The only way to make it work was with the foundation."
Shearer offered 50 acres of his own land, which was cleared for a barn being built this month. The facility will include an indoor and outdoor arena, as well as a transitional therapy gym.
"Some of the children may not be able to start with just the hippotherapy ... so they'll go into the gym, get the regular therapy and then transition up to the hippotherapy," said Ruby Nave, a physical therapy assistant and foundation vice president.
Hippotherapy can improve balance, posture, mobility and function. It also may help with psychological, cognitive, behavioral and communication function, according to the American Hippotherapy Association.
"If you are familiar with hippotherapy, you know how much it can change a child's disability," Deal said.
Hippotherapy is different from therapeutic riding in that it is billable to insurance and is considered a medical treatment.
"With hippotherapy, you use licensed therapists," Deal said. "With therapeutic riding, you use horse professionals."
A fundraiser for Steps To Your Dreams will be held at the Clark County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 13. They are hoping to raise enough money to purchase a lift to help children get on the horses.
Most supplies have been donated, even the horses, which are carefully screened for gait, health and temperament.
Deal hopes the foundation will be ready to begin hippotherapy in November.
"It's amazing how much of a result you can get in a short time," Shearer said. "With this treatment, we are trying to change someone's quality of life."
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0356 or dmjordan@coxohio.com.
