The Healing Power of Horses

Photo by Jamie-Lee Fuoco
At Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association, Lynn Moseley, association president, and Carla Robinson, volunteer coordinator (bottom right), work with a team to support people with physical and/or cognitive challenges through medically approved therapeutic horseback riding and hippotherapy treatments.
That’s how it all began. Three programs at Valley directly address these needs: Hippotherapy, Therapeutic Riding and the Seniors’ Program.
One of Valley’s most established programs, hippotherapy, involves a different kind of flexibility. According to the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association, “In hippotherapy, the rider does not influence the horse but rather the horse’s movement stimulates postural and muscular reactions on the rider.”
It’s a medical treatment with specific goals that are quantifiably assessed and measured. Wayne Singbeil is the Valley’s maintenance manager and full-time volunteer.