Our Programs

Saddle Up! is a PATH International Premier Accredited Center which provides high quality services in the field of equine assisted activities and therapies. Based on your child’s needs and interests we can provide quality services through 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 services 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 24 years old. Additional eligibility requirements differ depending on the program, please visit HERE for more information. Saddle Up! follows the PATH International Precautions and Contraindications for participant eligibility in all of our programs.

How do I get my child involved?

If you are interested in our services, please contact our Program Department.

Current participant information

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

Adaptive Riding

Saddle Up!’s Adaptive Riding (AR) program is an equine-assisted activity 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.

Learn more about Adaptive Riding

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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.

Learn more about Therapy Services

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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.

Learn more about Equine Assisted Learning

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Interactive Vaulting

Saddle Up!’s Interactive Vaulting (IV) program is an equine-assisted activity 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.

Learn more about Interactive Vaulting

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Alumni Transitions

Saddle Up!’s Alumni Transitions (AT) program is for Saddle Up! Graduates where they continue their Adaptive Riding education and combine it with vocational and job skills to enhance their quality of life and community impact. During a lesson, our PATH International Certified Instructor will lead graduates in a 1.5 hour lesson that includes grooming, tacking, riding, and vocational skills. Our Alumni Transitions program serves youth with disabilities from the age of 19 through their 24th birthday.

Learn more about Alumni Transitions

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Fun on the Farm (Summer Only)

Fun on the Farm is a summer only, equine assisted learning 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.

Learn more about Fun on the Farm

How do I get my child involved?

If you would like to get your child involved as a participant in our Therapeutic Riding program, please contact our Program Department. If you would like to be involved in Therapeutic Riding as a volunteer, please contact our Volunteer Services Director.