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Imagine a place where a nonverbal child on the autism spectrum can tell a horse to "walk-on."
Imagine a place where a woman who uses a wheelchair can ride a horse and find new freedom of movement.
Imagine a place where a horse will stop in his tracks and refuse to move until his rider's seizure has passed.
You are imagining The Right Step, Inc.
We are a therapeutic riding program where clients of all ages with a range of physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities experience freedoms they have never felt before.
Your small donations add up to help us offer services to more people, and to provide care for our client's partners — our horses.
The Right Step is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International premier accredited therapeutic riding program that works with clients of all ages with a range of physical, social, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disabilities. Clients experience the healing power of horses through our mounted and ground-based programs. Veterans and front-line essential workers have also benefited from special equine assisted programs developed to reduce stress and anxiety.
Working with an equine partner provides many benefits and rewards, including increased self-confidence; social, emotional, and cognitive improvement; and improved physical balance, strength, and range of motion. In addition, the connection between horse and human has been proven to foster respect and confidence while the loving and gentle nature of the horse lessens fear and anxiety.
The programs at TRS have a profound and positive impact on staff, volunteers, and clients. We are so fortunate to witness and experience the healing power of horses daily.
The Right Step serves a population with special needs that is typically underserved. Resources for individuals with special needs are often limited or non-existent in some areas. The benefits of equine assisted therapeutic riding programs have proven to be very successful to clients.
Many individuals with special needs experience social isolation. The impact of COVID-19 had also contributed to this isolation and increased mental health issues. Interacting with horses has shown to positively impact individuals. The Right Step currently has a waiting list of 50+ individuals wishing to participate in our programs.
The Right Step is innovative because we use horses as partners for our clients! Many individuals have never had an opportunity to be in the presence of a large animal. Learning to communicate with a 1,000+ lb "partner" teaches clients new skills and opportunities to apply to everyday living. Clients are engaged in the learning process — physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally.
Like many organizations, COVID-19 impacted our ability to generate income and hold fundraising events. And while the income decreased, our expenses did not. Horses still need to eat and be cared for. We have also been impacted by increased operating costs as the cost of hay, feed, and supplies continues to rise.
We work with all individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. Scholarships and grants help subsidize individual lessons and programs. Our goal is to never turn anyone away because of an inability to pay. Most insurance does not cover therapeutic riding program costs.
Would you give $4 a month to support four nonprofits that are making a big difference? Join forces with other 52andChangmakers to automatically give to every Cause of the Week. Every Monday, you’ll wake up knowing you’ve already made a difference! As our community grows, so does the impact!
Together we’ve become volunteers in places we would have never expected, planted milkweed for butterflies, provided books to kids in need, helped save endangered turtles, helped turn excess food into nutrition, helped bring art to youth, educated one another about how we are connected to our delicate food systems, helped save abandoned horses and given old dogs new hope, watched foster youth shine in the spotlight of movie making, helped clean tires out of rivers… we could go on and on and on. It is an absolute joy to be a part of such an amazing network of humans making a difference.
“ALMA reconnects the lives of the formerly incarcerated back to the fabric of society. Our participants have the chance at attaining gainful employment and becoming self-sufficient. Urban Farming helps everyone involved explore the relationships between plants, animals and humans as a way of creating a profound connection to both nature and their community.” - ALMA Backyard Farms
While we’re writing this and you’re reading it, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes is out there, finding ways to provide food to more people in need throughout Santa Cruz County, where one of three residents are reported to be food insecure.
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