Therapeutic horseback riding program needs volunteers and horses

This spring begins the ninth season for Great Strides of Northeast Iowa, a non-profit organization for therapeutic and recreational horseback riding for the disabled, based in Decorah. Soon, enthusiastic volunteers will once again take their places helping with horses and riders of all ages. More volunteers are needed as sidewalkers and horseleaders.

Games on horseback are used extensively to make the sessions fun and interesting for all involved. Safety is of paramount concern and almost all activities are done at a walk or standing still under the careful supervision of the riding instructors.

Occupational therapist Kara Cooper; two physical therapists, Leslie Sand and Stacy Drew; and two riding instructors, Sandy Ruckhaber and Michelle McLain Kruse; direct the activities. Great Strides is fortunate to hold its weekly sessions in Jim and Bridget Casper’s indoor arena on the edge of Decorah, just east of KDEC Radio Station not far from the Locust Rd.

The program is offered for three six-week sessions starting May 4 and ending Oct. 12 Wednesday afternoons. Each week there will be two back-to-back time-slots. The 4-5 p.m. slot is for recreational riders and the 5:15-6:15 p.m. slot is for therapeutic riders. At 4 p.m. the recreational riders take a riding lesson from the riding instructors. The therapists direct the activities of the therapeutic riders in the second time-slot with the riding instructors supervising the use of the horses. Typically, four riders participate in each time-slot.

Each rider requires three volunteers: a horse-experienced person to lead the horse and two sidewalkers to walk along each side of the horse to assist the riders as needed. Sidewalkers do not need to be experienced with horses. The horse leader must be alert to the demeanor of the horse and how it is reacting to all that is happening. Often, the horse leader is the owner of the horse. The sidewalkers help to steady the rider on the horse and give encouragement to the rider.

A volunteer can sign up for one or both Wednesday afternoon time slots for any or all of the three six-week sessions. Volunteers need to come about 20 minutes ahead of their scheduled time to assist riders in “fitting” the helmets and mounting the horses at the ramp or mounting block.

A training session for all volunteers, both horse leaders and sidewalkers, will be held Wednesday, April 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Casper indoor arena near KDEC. While it is certainly very helpful to come to this session, if at all possible, this session is not a requirement. Those who want to volunteer and can’t make this training session are asked to contact any of the informational numbers listed at the end of this article to still be included in the program.

Anyone having a horse or pony they hope to use in the program should contact Michelle McLain Kruse at either her home phone: (563) 382-6189 or her cell phone at (563) 419-81318. Horse owners can sign up to bring their horses for either one or both of the Wednesday afternoon time slots for any or all of the six-week sessions and are responsible for bringing the horse each week for the assigned sessions and hauling it home directly afterwards.

The horses or ponies must be very unflappable, calm, willing and patient and adapt readily to the various objects and activities used in the program. They each have to be screened and approved by the head riding instructor, Sandy Ruckhaber, before being allowed to be used in the program.

Once their horse is approved for the program, horse owners should bring their horses 20-30 minutes ahead of their assigned session to allow the horses time to “settle in” and to tack up. To come to the Casper Indoor Arena, take the Locust Road to Highland Drive on the edge of Decorah. Turn east on Highland Drive and go past the radio station. When the paved road turns to gravel, turn right on Helena. Travel one block and the arena will be on the left at the corner of Meadowview Drive.

STRIDES 2005

CALENDAR

Volunteer Training Session: Wed., April 27 @ 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Spring Session: May 4-June 8, 4-5 and 5:15-6:15 p.m.

Summer Session: July 13 -Aug. 17, 4-5 and 5:15-6:15 p.m.

Fall Session: Sept. 7-Oct. 12, 4-5 and 5:15-6:15 p.m.

For further information, call either Barb Kellogg at (563) 382-5733 or Judy Drenth at (563) 382-3255 or e-mail Eunice Veeder at gstrides@rconnect.com.