WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Last year Special Equestrians was one of 10 nonprofits chosen from nearly 600 applicants to receive part of $25,000 in PR service grants. ‘We’ve always taken corporate social responsibility very seriously, and it gives all of us here a warm and fuzzy feeling to do what little we can to give something back to worthwhile causes,’ said Neotrope CEO and co-founder, Christopher Simmons.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Special Equestrians is proud to announce our partnership with the Philadelphia Race Park. Special Equestrians will be providing stall rest to injured race horses. These horses will be part of our Youth Connections Program for At-Risk Youth. ‘Our vulnerable youth will be introduced to the plight of these vulnerable horses with the goal of developing a greater empathy for these horses,’ says Tammy Westney, Executive Director of Special Equestrians.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Special Equestrians had been grappling with the effects of the economic downturn when they received a stroke of good luck; a local band offered to assist them by playing for no charge at a low-cost Beef and Beer Dinner. It was just what the agency needed to draw in a large audience and help to raise over $11,000.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Special Equestrians has been expanding its range of services this past year, first developing a program for children diagnosed with autism, then by enrolling students in off-site horse back riding shows, and now with a new Summer Camp. ‘The campers had a terrific time. They rode everyday, and had special programs presented by therapy dog owners, and an aviary sanctuary, and they made tie-died shirts and clay pots. It was very different from their weekly riding lessons,’ says Executive Director Tammy Westney.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ‘I wanted to make a difference to improve the rider’s experience during my time at Special Equestrians,’ states intern Louis Taylor. As part of a unique collaboration between Foundations Community Partnership and Special Equestrians, Louis worked for ten weeks as a student intern for the Summer Youth Corp Program, sponsored through Foundations Community Partnership. During that time he divided his time between intensive classes, and Special Equestrians Therapeutic Horseback Riding Programs.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A dedication to their young clients has led Deb Saffren and Kim Hartranft, two Occupational Therapists at Special Equestrians, to broaden the scope of their work in animal assisted therapies. Every Monday Deb and Kim come to work at Special Equestrians providing Hippotherapy, which is Occupational Therapy on the back of the horse. ‘During this interaction, I know that the child does not feel like they are participating in yet another therapy session. Instead, they are riding a horse,’ says Deb Saffern.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The blustery weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Special Equestrians riders at the Annual Spring Festival. Thirty-three students preformed for their own families, members of the community, staff, volunteers, and board members of Special Equestrians.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Volunteers from Capmark Finance Inc, and Centocor Ortho Biotech Services LLC, worked over the course of two days at Special Equestrians painting the therapy and observation rooms, and planting gardens and building therapeutic equipment in the Sensory Trail. The teams’ efforts were coordinated by Special Equestrians Program Director Anne Reynolds, ‘It was a pleasure to have these talented and skilled volunteers working to brighten our indoor environment.’
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ‘I had no idea the first time I photographed for Special Equestrians that I would be so touched by the kids and the staff there,’ stated Rosemary Taglialatela, who came in contact with the organization during the Bucks County 5K Run last year when she was photographing the runners for the series, Special Equestrians held a race as part of the series; she’s been coming back ever since.
WARRINGTON, Pa. (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Special Equestrians is proud to announce the launch of a new program for children diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. ‘We successfully completed a pilot of this program and were so pleased with the results that we are opening the group to our currently enrolled riders.’ Deb Saffern, one of the Occupational Therapists who works at Special Equestrians attributes the groups success to ‘the social interaction between the children, the one-on-one attention each child receives, along with the repetition of activities, and the variety of activities.’
