SPRING BREAK 3/15 - 3/20 NAT'L VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK 4/18 - 4/24

Greetings from Saddle Up!

The last of 4,529 lessons in 2009 have ended. Our riders have hugged their horses, volunteers and Instructors goodbye. Today, staff and volunteers are working in the indoor arena with the 15 Saddle Up! program horses, one horse at a time, to carefully measure and fit saddles in preparation for the start of lessons in January 2010.

It is quiet. Very quiet. Quite unlike the hustle and bustle that fills the farm when lessons are in session. During those times, the 120 children who ride weekly, their families, about 225 volunteers, 25 staff, and, of course, the horses are in and out of the arenas, out on trails, and in the grooming bays engaged in purposeful activities designed to benefit the children.

It is also a time to reflect and to say thank you. Thank you to each family who has entrusted their child (or children) to Saddle Up! to help the child grow and develop through recreational activities with horses. Thank you to our volunteers, who serve in all capacities from Board governance to hands-on helpers in the barn and lessons, for continuing to be the lifeblood of Saddle Up!. Thank you to our staff whose professionalism, passion and commitment ensure the best program possible. Thank you to our horses, those magnificent animals whose power makes the program work. And thank you to our donors, whose support makes this special program possible.

As this year draws to a close, we are making a final request for your support to our year-end annual fund campaign. This campaign is especially important in 2009 due to ongoing economic challenges. The annual fund campaign supports all that Saddle Up! does from turning on the lights to feeding our horses.

Right now, we are running significantly short of our goal. If you have already contributed, thank you for your support. If you have not, please join in the campaign with your donation now. You may give by making a donation online or print off the pledge card to mail. You can also mail your donation to Saddle Up!, 1549 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37069-9136. A gift of any size is greatly appreciated and makes a difference.

Your support will play a starring role to help ensure that Saddle Up! remains the place "Where all children are equal in the saddle."

Cheryl Scutt
Executive Director

Welcome to Saddle Up!, the nonprofit recreational therapeutic riding program
“Where all children are equal in the saddle!”

Founded in 1990, Saddle Up! is the region’s oldest and largest recreational therapeutic riding program, and it is the only one exclusively serving children and youth with documented disabilities. Saddle Up! is also one of only three programs in Tennessee to earn the Premier Accredited Center designation from NARHA (formerly known as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association), the national organization that sets the standards for quality and safety.

Are you on Facebook? If so, look for Saddle Up!. We have a page and a supporters group.

Mission Statement
Saddle Up!’s mission is to provide children and youth with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through recreational activities with horses.

We bring that mission to life by providing a year-round program on our 34-acre farm near Franklin, TN. For many of our riders, Saddle Up! is one of the few, if not the only, recreational programs available to them. To ensure the safety of its participants and a quality learning opportunity, Saddle Up! requires all of its Instructors to be certified by NARHA. In addition, we provide special training for our dedicated group of volunteers, who come from all walks of life, age brackets and locations in the area to serve in the program.

Meeting the Needs of Exceptional People
Everyone involved with Saddle Up! is exceptional. Our children, parents and volunteers are the strength and foundation for our accomplishments every day.

Our Children
This year we will serve nearly 180 children and youth. More than half are from Williamson County, another 38% from Davidson County, and the rest from eight other counties in the middle Tennessee area. They deal with more than 40 types of disabilities as defined by federal law including: Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Pervasive Developmental Delay, Autism, non-verbal disorders, visual and hearing loss, developmental and learning disabilities, and many others.

For any child, mounting a horse can be a frightening prospect. But before long, all of the children are wearing heartwarming grins that lift the heart. The opportunity for them to leave behind the world of special classes, tutors, doctors, hospitals and medicine is often more therapy than the best educational or medical minds can deliver.

Our Parents
The strength of Saddle Up! parents is inspiring. Brothers, sisters, parents, friends and extended family members gather to watch their rider demonstrate their riding skills. All accomplishments are greeted with fanfare and hugs! Parents help with many aspects of the program as well. It’s not uncommon to find them cleaning stalls, painting, cleaning, mowing, etc. The Saddle Up! family is thankful the families are willing to share the joy of their children.

Our Volunteers
Saddle Up! couldn't exist without the grassroots efforts of our volunteers. Volunteers are integrated into literally every part of our program. Indeed, volunteers are our lesson leaders, side-walkers, medical review team, horse caregivers, fundraising members, board members and many more. Our volunteers usually start out working with us on a limited basis, only to soon find themselves at the barn or at a committee meeting every chance they get. They often tell us that working with the children and horses is just the therapy they need.

More Than Just a Pony Ride
This experience has multiple opportunities for students to increase physical skills, social skills and communication skills. Students develop muscle strength, balance and coordination during riding. They have the opportunity to develop increased communication skills and increased positive social interaction with their riding team. The thrill of riding a horse is an accomplishment that is immeasurable to students that have difficulty with mobility, self-control and/or communication. We have watched students begin the program that could not sit upright on the horse progress to independent riding. Parents report students have increased muscle tone. Instructors report students progressing from nonverbal status to voluntary greetings and conversations with horses and riding team members.

For our children, Saddle Up! provides more than just a good time. Research shows that students who participate in therapeutic riding can experience physical, emotional and mental rewards. For individuals with impaired mobility, horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves their bodies in a manner similar to a human walking gait. The rider must continuously contract and relax muscles to re-balance, improving balance, strength and flexibility. Saddle Up! is where “horsing around” really makes a difference.

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