Special Equestrians Inc

TO PROVIDE THERAPEAUTIC BENEFITS TO HANDICAPPED CITIZENS THROUGH A HORSEBACK RIDING PROGRAM.

13 NEW PARTICIPANTS WERE ADDED TO OUR THERAPEUTIC HORSEMANSHIP PROGRAM IN 2020-21. THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS SERVED FOR OUR THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM DURING 2021 WAS 86. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION SHUT DOWN IN MARCH. IN AUGUST, VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION BEGAN AGAIN, USING ZOOM MEETINGS FOR THE MAIN INFORMATIONAL AND INTRODUCTION OF THE VOLUNTEERS. AN IN-PERSON TOUR AND INTERVIEW WERE ALSO INCLUDED AFTER THE ZOOM ORIENTATION, USING PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS. IN 2020, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT 57 VOLUNTEERS THROUGH VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION USING TRADITIONAL ORIENTATION FROM JANUARY TO MARCH (21) AND ZOOM ORIENTATION FROM AUGUST THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2020 (36). IN EARLY 2021, WE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION ONCE AGAIN. IN MAY OF 2021, OUR SPECIAL EQUESTRIAN SIDEWALKERS CAME BACK TO VOLUNTEER IN CLASSES, AFTER USUNG ONLY FAMILY MEMBERS AS SIDEWALKERS IN THE FALL OF 2020. WE ARE TRAINING NEW SIDEWALKERS AT THIS TIME, AND OUR VOLUNTEER BASE IS GROWING ONCE AGAIN. SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS CONTINUES TO USE OUR OWN VOLUNTEERS AS HORSE LEADERS. WE HAVE ADDED MANY NEW JOBS THAT DID NOT EXIST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC SUCH AS: SANITIZING EQUIPMENT AFTER EACH CLASS, DAILY CHECK-IN VOLUNTEERS USING THERMOMETERS, COVID SCREENING AND EVEN CLEANING PENS USED. VOLUNTEERS ARE ASSIGNED TO CLEAN GATE HANDLES, HORSE GROOMING TOOLS, AND ARENA TOYS. NUMBERS OF PERSONS ON OUR PROPERTY AT ONE TIME HAVE BEEN LIMITED. KEEPING OUR NUMBERS DOWN AND HAVING ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS IN THE FRESH AIR HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR SUCCESS IN KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC. SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS THERAPEUTIC CARRIAGE DRIVING PROGRAM IS BEGINNING ITS FIFTH SEASON IN 2021. THIS PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED US TO SERVE SOME PARTICIPANTS WHO DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THERAPEUTIC HORSEBACK RIDING. THERAPEUTIC DRIVING IS ALSO AN ALTERNATIVE EQUESTRIAN SKILL TO OFFER THE PEOPLE ON OUR WAITING LIST. IF THEY WISH, WE KEEP A PARTICIPANT ON THE WAITING LIST WHILE THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE CARRIAGE DRIVING PROGRAM, GIVING THEM THE OPTION FOR FUTURE MOUNTED ACTIVITIES. IN 2021, WE ADDED A SECOND DRIVING HORSE TO THIS PROGRAM. OUR ACTIVITY SPECIFICALLY FOR VETERANS BEGAN AGAIN IN THE FALL OF 2021, FACILITATED BY TWO OF OUR PATH CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS. HORSES HELPING HUMANS IS A HORSEMANSHIP PROGRAM USING ONLY GROUNDWORK WITH OUR VETERANS. THE VETERANS LEARN TO PARTNER WITH A SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS THERAPY HORSE. OUR PATH REGISTERED THERAPIST, WHO IS AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, CONTINUED TO OFFER HER SERVICES AT SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS USING HIPPOTHERAPY AS A TREATMENT MODALITY. THE TERM HIPPOTHERAPY REFERS TO HOW OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS USE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AND CLINICAL REASONING IN THE PURPOSEFUL MANIPULATION OF EQUINE MOVEMENT TO ENGAGE SENSORY, NEUROMOTOR, AND COGNITIVE SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES IN A CLIENT. WE ARE NOW PARTNERING WITH OUR THERAPIST TO OFFER THESE SERVICES, WHICH BEGAN WITH THE FIRST CLIENTS IN 2018. THE NAME OF OUR THERAPISTS SERVICE IS STRIDES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES. IN 2021, SERVICES WERE INCREASED TO TWO DAYS OF THE WEEK DUE TO DEMAND. IN 2021, TWO NEW HORSES WERE ADDED TO OUR HERD. THE HORSES WERE PURCHASED BY SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS. OUR PET PARTNER HORSE/HANDLER TEAMS WERE GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL YEAR OF CERTIFICATION BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, ALLOWING US TO USE OUR CERTIFICATION THROUGH 2023. WE WILL BEGIN MAKING VISITS IN JANUARY OF 2022 WITH THREE VISITS TO SCHOOLS IN LEE COUNTY SCHEDULED, AT THIS TIME. IN 2021, ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS MADE THE DECISION TO BECOME A PATH INTL CERTIFIED THERAPEUTIC RIDING INSTRUCTOR. SHE HAS NOW COMPLETED AND PASSED ALL REQUIREMENTS FOR HER CERTIFICATION AND IS JOINING OUR STAFF OF RIDING INSTRUCTORS. SHE WILL BE TEACHING THREE DAYS A WEEK. IN 2021, A NEW PAID VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR WAS HIRED. THIS PERSON DID A WONDERFUL JOB BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE BECAUSE OF FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES. A NEW VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR IS ON TRIAL, AT THIS TIME. IN 2021, A NEW VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED AT SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS WITH CAMERAS ON STRATEGIC PLACES AROUND OUR PROPERTY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN KEEPING OUR HORSES, CARETAKER, STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND PARTICIPANTS SAFE ON OUR PROPERTY. NEW BIOTHANE REINS AND COLOR-CODED STIRRUP LEATHERS WERE PURCHASED, IN 2021, FOR THE THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM. THE REINS ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO DISINFECT AND CLEAN BETWEEN RIDERS. THE STIRRUPS PROVIDE AN EASIER WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF EACH RIDERS STIRRUP LENGTH AND CHANGE THE LENGTH BETWEEN RIDERS. THE NEW LEATHERS HAVE CUT DOWN ON PREPARATION TIME AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH RIDING LESSON. OUR SENSORY INTEGRATION TRAIL WAS REHABBED IN 2021 BY STUDENTS FROM FGCU DURING MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY. THE TRAIL WAS ALSO OVERSEEDED WITH NEW GRASS SEED DURING THE SPRING OF 2021. THE RESULT WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND SAFE SENSORY TRAIL WHICH HAS GOTTEN MORE USE THIS FALL THAN EVER BEFORE, GIVING OUR PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS GREAT JOY DURING THEIR CLASSES.