Imagine if you had difficulty walking, sitting, or even breathing. The sisters shown in the video have spinal muscular atrophy; they have a challenging time doing what most others take for granted every day. With physical therapy, they were able to make slow improvements, but four years ago their lives changed dramatically. Four years ago these sisters began going to Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center.
Cheff Center has made a tremendous difference in the girls' lives. Therapeutic riding can do what other types of therapy can't do. Riding a horse is a three-dimensional movement; it mimics that of walking. Since taking up therapeutic riding, the girls have substantially strengthened their cores. Through riding, their muscles have become stronger and their posture has improved. Not to mention the emotional benefits that come with riding the horse. "They are so happy just to be here," said the girls mother, "and after they ride they get to go back and give the horses treats so they really love coming here."
Charlene Swain, who works with both girls, has been a physical therapist for over 30 years. She is impressed with the results the girls have had from therapeutic riding. "Kids tend to get tired of other kinds of therapy and don't want to participate, but that never happens with this kind of therapy," she said.
Experiences like this are made possible thanks to the support of our community and donors. With your contributions, we are able to create more success stories like Brooke and Brielle's. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of resources to care for 15 horses. There are many different ways you can donate and support Cheff Center such as: online donations, horse donations, adopt-a-rider scholarships, or donating items on our wish list. For more details, please visit the Support Cheff tab on our website: http://www.cheffcenter.org
*This was done for course content purposes and is in no way associated with the organization.*
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