Programs - Saddle Up!

Our Programs

Saddle Up! is a PATH International Premier Accredited Center which provides high-quality programs in the field of equine-assisted services. Based on your child’s needs and interests, we can provide Adaptive Riding, Therapy Services, Equine Assisted Learning, Fun on the Farm, Saddle Up! Equestrian Club, Interactive Vaulting, and/or Alumni Transitions. To find out more information about our programs and how to get your child involved, please review the information below.

Why the horse?

Nothing can compare to the power of the horse. The auto industry has put “horsepower” into their engines for decades, but there is a “horse power” beyond strength and speed that only a real horse can provide. Saddle Up! partners with their herd to offer children and youth with disabilities a unique environment to grow and develop. Our horses provide movement, support, learning opportunities, strength, stability, companionship, and much more to participants in all of our different programs. To see the horses in action and the amazing power they have to offer, feel free to schedule a visit for you and your family.

Who can participate?

Saddle Up! serves children and youth with disabilities between the ages of 2 and 26 years old. Eligibility requirements differ depending on the program. If you have questions about your child's eligibility, contact the Program Department.

How do I get my child involved?

In order to get your child involved in one of our programs, you can sign up below or contact us via phone or email.

Current participant information

If your child is already enrolled in a Saddle Up! program, click for upcoming information, paperwork, FAQs, important policies and procedures, and much more!

Adaptive Riding

Saddle Up!’s Adaptive Riding (AR) program is an equine-assisted service where participants work on their mounted and unmounted horsemanship skills. Our PATH International Certified Instructors adapt the lesson for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being of children with disabilities. Secondary benefits that have been observed by Saddle Up! families include improvements in balance, endurance, coordination, communication, speech, attention, and much more. Our Adaptive Riding program serves children with disabilities from the age of 4 through their 19th birthday.

Therapy Services

Saddle Up!’s Therapy Services (TS) offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy that incorporates equine movement as a treatment strategy. Our therapists skillfully direct the movement of the horse to challenge and engage the client’s neuromuscular and sensorimotor systems to address the client’s challenges, such as deficits in balance, endurance, coordination, communication, speech, and attention. Therapy Services treats client’s with disabilities as young as 2 years old.

Equine Assisted Learning Program

Saddle Up!’s Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) program is an experiential learning approach which involves students interacting with horses to build self-confidence, improve social skills, and reinforce academic skills. Using the barn as a dynamic classroom, students also get to participate in arts, crafts, hikes, games, and discovery. This program is designed for students Kindergarten through 12th grade with learning and/or social differences.

Saddle Up! Equestrian Club

The Saddle Up! Equestrian Club (SUEC) is comprised of riders who have excelled through the Adaptive Riding program and are working on mastering their horsemanship skills. Each SUEC meeting gives riders the opportunity to participate in class work, barn work, riding, and horse care. Riders are children with disabilities who have achieved Level #4 in RIDES®, through our Adaptive Riding program, and showed continued interest in excelling their horsemanship skills.

Interactive Vaulting

Saddle Up!’s Interactive Vaulting (IV) program is an equine-assisted service where participants perform movements on and around the horse while the horse is being lunged on a circle. During a lesson, our PATH International Certified Vaulting Instructor directs vaulters to interact with each other and their horse in many different ways in order to foster teamwork, teach respect for the horse, foster independence, build confidence, and encourage social interaction. Our Interactive Vaulting program serves children and youth with disabilities from the age of 6 through their 19th birthday.

Fun on the Farm (Summer Only)

Fun on the Farm is a summer-only program where participants get to come out to Saddle Up! for a week and discover the farm from our herd’s point of view. Activities such as nature hikes, horse handling, crafts, water play, and riding lessons will teach students leadership, teamwork, and problem solving skills… and they’ll have so much fun they won’t even know they are learning! Our Fun on the Farm program is designed for children and youth with disabilities from the age of 6 through their 19th birthday.

Saddle Up!

1549 Old Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37069-9136
info@saddleupnashville.org

Program Hours

Monday – Thursday 9am – 7pm
Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday 8am – 4pm