SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
1
Friday, May 03 2019 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

StableStrides: Equine-Assisted Therapy as a First Choice, Not a Last Resort

By Britney Grover

StableStrides has been an active force for good in Colorado Springs since 1981. Though it’s had several different names and has developed and expanded its programs over the years, the mission has remained the same: using horses to help people.

StableStrides serves over 120 clients per week ranging from children to adults and seniors.

Now, StableStrides has multiple locations fueled by more than 20 horses and 200 volunteers. They’ve grown from strictly a therapeutic riding center into a national leader in equine-assisted activities and therapies, including mental health services and hippotherapy. They’re striving not just to improve the lives of individuals in their community, ranging from children with physical adaptive needs to veterans and active-duty service members from nearby military installations, but to promote equine therapy as a whole for its long-lasting benefits.

Invaluable Tools

It began with a simple observation. “StableStrides was originally established as Acts 19:11 by a community member that had horses and neighboring children with disabilities and realized the two went well together,” said Executive Director Shannon Mitchell. “She started it as a backyard organization and as years went on, more people in the community were requesting the services. Our founder, Gay O’Rourke, just kept building on that.”

The program developed into Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center, an adaptive riding facility for individuals with physical needs. Though they still offer therapeutic riding, the name was outgrown when their services expanded. “In 2010, we brought on a new executive director who came from a mental health background and saw a need in our community for more mental health services,” Shannon said. “Since then, our mental health programs have grown from nonexistent to 70 percent of what we do.”

StableStrides mental health, hippotherapy and therapeutic riding programs help 100% of clients see improvement.

Shannon joined StableStrides as a board member in 2013, and became the executive director four years ago. “I was a commercial banker and found that I just needed more hours with my family,” she shared. “About the same time, the last executive director resigned and it was just a great fit: I’ve got a degree in healthcare management, so it really fit with what I’d gone to school for and I grew up with horses. I’ve been on or around them since probably the day I was born, and though my involvement has always been recreational, I’ve always had a love for them.”

Especially as a mother and horse lover herself, Shannon understands why horses are such a valuable therapy tool. “A horse’s emotions really mirror ours,” she explained. “You’ve probably heard people say the horse knows what you’re thinking, or that they feed off of your energy. It’s all true. The horse can tell what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, and reflect that same feeling. If you’re feeling a lot of anxiety and you enter the arena, the horse can feel that anxiety and will likely not want to be around you. We allow the horse to make those choices. We then work with the client and give them tools to control those emotions, so that then the horse wants to be around them, will let them groom them, will let them catch them. The goal is for the client to take those tools out into their daily life and use those same tools with their family, with their friends, in school, at work, wherever.”

StableStrides works with therapists, PATH-certified instructors and volunteers to help clients reach their health and healing goals.

Growing Needs

StableStrides has continued to grow to fill the needs of the Colorado Springs communities, especially helping those increasing independence and addressing suicide among high-risk individuals by providing relationship, coping, communication and learning skills. A large portion of clients are veterans and active-duty personnel from the five military installations in the county, including those returning from deployment.

With so many able to benefit from their services and as southern Colorado’s only Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Premier Accredited Center, StableStrides’ largest challenge is capacity. “We’re in the process of trying to figure out how to expand; we’ve found that the need and want for our services is much greater than what we’re able to financially and physically accommodate,” Shannon shared. “Our biggest need is actually space and facilities to be able to serve more individuals.”

To that end, StableStrides holds two main fundraisers each year: Miracles in Motion, a live auction and barn party held at their main location, and the Red, White and Blue Celebration, a smaller luncheon specifically benefiting the StableStrides military programs. But in addition to expanding their own ability to serve, StableStrides is also seeking to promote equine-assisted therapy as a whole.

Therapeutic riding offers physical, mental and emotional benefits while promoting horsemanship.

“Right now, we have two primary goals,” Shannon said. “The short-term goal is to grow our facilities to be able to accommodate more clients. The big vision is that we’re no longer the last option, that equine therapy as an industry is the first option; that people don’t try everything else and then come to us, they know about us and they come to us first so they don’t have to go through the trial and error of other therapies.”

Ultimately, it’s sharing what participants in StableStrides programs already know: Horses as a therapy tool can impact lives and create long-lasting results. “The majority of our clients come to us and say, ‘I’ve tried everything else; nothing works,’” Shannon said. “They come to us and leave with, ‘I tried everything else; nothing worked — and this did.’”

For more information, visit www.stablestrides.org

Photos by Amy May Images

Horses act as a mirror to emotions, providing a valuable therapy tool.

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: britney grover, charity, StableStrides

What you can read next

Great and Small: Using Horses to Ensure All Know They’re Great
Ana Bertozzi: The Value of the NCEA Junior Hunt Seat Medal
Mint Julep: The Sweet Taste of Kentucky

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Hello April!!! 🌻🌷 This month's edition of Si Hello April!!! 🌻🌷
This month's edition of Sidelines is our eventing edition and it will not disappoint! Of the many things happening this month one of the most exciting things coming up is Sidelines will be at The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event held in Lexington KY 🤩

This month's issue of Sidelines features the beautiful and talented Liz Halliday-Sharp and her never-give-up attitude!!

Of the many lessons that Elisabeth “Liz” Halliday-Sharp learned from her father, resilience was perhaps the most important. Liz’s innate ability to overcome adversity has served her well in her quest to become one of the top event riders in the world. Through the highs and lows of a career with horses, Liz’s “can do” attitude has helped propel her through both triumph and defeat. 

Liz, who has won more events globally during the past three years than any other rider in her discipline, continues to set records—with her sights set firmly on the 2024 Olympic Games.

This is truly a can't miss article! Read more in the link in our bio! 

Never miss a moment with Sidelines by following all our social media and subscribing to get your own edition of Sidelines, the magazine for horse people about horse people 🦄

📸Portraits by Melissa Fuller

#olympics #tokyo #sports #tokyoolympics #sport #india #olympicgames #athlete #olympic #figureskating #athletics #horses #fitness  #training #usa #goldmedal  #motivation #athletes #teamusa #skating  #champion #love #sidelinesmagazine
Sports Psychology column🐎 By Margie Sugarman I Sports Psychology column🐎
By Margie Sugarman

I just bought a new horse. I think he’s amazing, but I miss the feeling of just “clicking” with my old horse. I know that it takes time to grow that connection, but do you have any tips that can help me be confident and in tune with my new horse in the short term?

You kick off your sneakers and realize that there’s a big hole in the sole of one shoe. Well, you’ve had them for quite a while and have worn them everywhere, from hiking to riding. They’ve served you well but it’s time for new ones. (It’s time to move on to a new horse.) You turn on your computer and order a new pair. You wait in anticipation. You’re excited, they’re cool looking. (He’s pretty!)

Upon arrival, you quickly open the box and slip your feet in. They’re great sneakers, but they aren’t as comfortable as the pair they’re replacing. They don’t bend as well—the sole is stiff. They don’t feel as comfortable—they have to be broken in. They don’t fit like the others did—the old ones were so well molded to your feet. (He’s a new ride, a different ride. He needs some suppling work.)

Of utmost importance in the human/horse relationship (especially the ones with the strongest bonds) is the horse looking to their owner as the leader and respecting their personal space. This important dynamic comes from groundwork—no matter what discipline you’re involved in. Just as it is with friendships, there needs to be respect. Respect is developed when one is on the ground and not mounted.

The things you do might seem small, but if done consistently and in a positive way, the results are huge. The confidence and trust you develop between the two of you will carry your relationship to wherever you want it to go.

To read Margies full column click the link in our bio! Never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄

Photo by Ali Kelman

#psychology #mentalhealth #love #therapy #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #motivation #psychologist #selfcare #mindfulness #selflove #life #mentalhealthmatters  #mindset #wellness #meditation #inspiration #mind #Sidelinesmagazine
Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! W Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.
 
Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.
 
Kaiman (Dark Pleasure x Gribaldi) earned high scores at his stallion testing and in the young horse classes. He's also the sire of a Licensed Oldenburg stallion. Kaiman's first North American foal crop is arriving now and they are gorgeous!
 
If you're looking for top international bloodlines please check out our 2023 stallion collection, now available fresh, frozen, and by the dose.

Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.

Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.

https://www.ironspringfarm.com/biolink/

@iron_spring_farm 

#stallion #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #dressage #pferd #equestrianlife #mare #hengst #horseriding #instahorse #cheval #pferde #equinephotography #horselove #dressagehorse #pony #horselover #caballo #foal #quarterhorse #aqha #arabianhorse #showjumping #photography #caballos #horseofinstagram #sidelinesmagazine
❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • Find the Perfect Pony
    Click ad title for more images
    Old Spring Manor Handling + Training & Showing + Sales specializing in Young Welsh Ponies. oldspringmanor@gmail.com www.oldspringmanor.com 561-797-9199

    [Read more]

  • TRYON RIDING & HUNT CLUB
    Horse Shows/Tryon Area 828-863-0480 www.trhcevents.org

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • 2023 Upperville Colt & Horse Show Presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™ Returns for 170th Year on June 5-11
  • Will Coleman Retains Yanmar America CCI4*-S Lead in Dramatic Show Jumping at Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International
  • First edition of the World Sport Horse Sales was a hit with $410.000 for the most expensive horse

Category

Recent Posts

  • April 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Building a Bond With a New Horse

    By Margie Sugarman I just bought a new horse. I...
  • Developing Healthy Relationships With Your Barnmates

    By Rob Jacobs The purpose of this month’s colum...
  • The Value of Self-Coaching

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The sport of eventing is ...
  • Unbridled With Annette Longenecker

    By Britney Grover  Annette Longenecker wasn’t j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!