Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center is committed to establishing, maintaining and delivering professional programs designed to enhance the lives of those individuals with physical, social, educational, or psychological challenges.
About Ivy Hill:
Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers equine-assisted programs for children and adults with special needs. Our services include horsemanship and therapeutic riding sessions, programs for at-risk youth, summer camp, clinics, Special Olympic training, and competition opportunities. Programs are customized to meet the needs and objectives of individuals and organizations. Ivy Hill offers private and group lessons to best support the needs of each individual.
Ivy Hill was established by the Greaser Family in 1999 as a back yard program. The program moved to Quakertown in 2001 and then to Hilltown in 2004. We closed for 6 months in 2005 before moving down the street into our current facility in October of 2005. As our program grew and our needs changed, Ivy Hill located to our current facility in Hilltown Township. Ivy Hill currently leases a 14 stall barn on 15 acres which includes three pastures, a round pen, indoor ring, outdoor ring, and small office. Since we have moved to our current location we have increased our enrollment from 27 riders in 2005 to 140 as of September 2011. We have increase our horse herd from 3 horses in 2005 to 13 as of September 2011. Ivy Hill horses and riders are growing and so is our staff. We are proud to have staff that is knowledgeable, dedicated, and hard working. Ivy Hill is open seven days a week, with the majority of our lessons in the evenings and on the weekends.
Ivy Hill's programs serve children and adults with a wide range of disabilities. Our focus is on creating a healthy approach to growth and rehabilitation through equine-assisted activities. Ivy Hill offers much more than a traditional riding program. Ivy Hill has a well-rounded program where students will learn not only how to ride but also to groom, tack, and care for their horses. We have a great sense of pride in our rider’s success and accomplishments. Often times, our staff finds themselves benefiting from the student’s sessions as much as their students. Staff and participants often form a bond while achieving and exceeding their goals and overcoming challenges. Our staff strives to gain the highest level of knowledge in the therapeutic field, through our staff mentorship program as well as state & national certification in therapeutic horsemanship. Ivy Hill uses quiet and trained horses to meet our participants needs. We use special equipment and provide ASTM-SEI approved helmets to keep our participants safe in all of our activities.
A Little Bit of History:
Therapeutic riding, also known, as Equine-Assisted Therapy, Equine-Facilitated Therapy, and riding for the disabled, is known as the use of the horse and equine based activities. Therapeutic Riding uses the horse to achieve a variety of therapeutic goals, including cognitive, physical, social, educational, and behavioral goals. Therapeutic riding has been used since before WWI when Germans rode horses for therapy. The first study on the value of riding as a therapy was reported in 1875, when a French physician used riding as a treatment for a variety of conditions. He concluded that it was helpful in the treatment of certain neurological disorders by improving balance and joint movement, as well as psychological improvements.
Therapeutic riding is practiced in some form all over the world. Great Britain formed riding for the disabled (RDA) program to promote competition and equine sports for the disabled. Germany and Switzerland have been in the forefront of developing and establishing Hippotherapy as a medical mode of equine assisted therapy. Therapeutic riding has incorporated therapy, education, sport, and recreation.
Therapeutic riding came to the United States and Canada in 1960 with the formation of The Community Association of Riding of the Disabled. Today disabled riders demonstrate their accomplishments in national and international sport riding competitions. Hippotherapy has developed as a medical field recognized by most major countries. Equine-facilitated Mental Health, and other forms of therapy involving horses are gaining popularity. Riding for the disabled has become a well-recognized and acclaimed method of improving the lives of those who refuse to let their disabilities limit them.
