LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — For more than four decades, the Central Kentucky Riding for Hope organization has helped thousands of people with their therapeutic needs.
“Everything from simple learning disabilities to children with cerebral palsy,” says CKRH executive director Pat Kline. “Our veteran clientele has a lot of PTSD issues. We have a full scale of autism spectrum out here as well, so it’s very varied.”
And the heroes of this effort, of course, are the horses who make it happen.
“On average, we maintain about 28 horses in general over a year. Everything from little minis to draft horses, all shapes and sizes, because not every person we serve is the same,” Kline laughs.
“You know, the horses out here are trained to be therapy horses. So they really have a good idea of what the behavior needs to be and some of them are so intuitive over time that they actually know how to carry themselves in ways that really best benefit the person on your back. If they’re not a very balanced person, our horses can pick up on that.”
Leading the way is Astrid, an award-winning 28-year-old Norwegian Fjord who has set the example for her fellow equine therapists.
“Sometimes you will see when one of our riders dismount and the horse will go over and put their head in their lap if they are seated in a wheelchair or right up against them. They really want to share that affection and get to know their rider,” says Kline.
“They know their job and whenever they get into the arena, their demeanors change,” says CKRH equine manager Emily Toothaker. “They gear up for it and they see their kid. A lot of the horses get to know their riders and they look forward to it, and they’ll be waiting at the gate to come in and for us to get them ready for their lesson. It’s really exciting.”
Though they won’t say it themselves, there’s no doubt these four-legged heroes are special.
“I think it’s their ability to meet every person exactly where they are and elevate them up to the next level, whatever that might be,” says Kline. “Because we can start you wherever you are and it’s all about trying to elevate up and achieve things. So every day it’s something wonderful that happens and it’s because of our horses.”
