Hope on Horseback Therapeutic Riding Center

About the Program

The therapeutic riding program serves children and adults with cognitive, physical or social challenges. According to its website, riding exercises help riders overcome fear, improve balance and build focus and concentration. Classes meet weekly in five-week sessions from April through November, in small groups. Riders are assessed and placed in a class, and the center says its instructors are trained under PATH Intl. guidelines and recertify each year.

Equine-assisted learning, added in 2024, is usually done on the ground without riding. It promotes life skills, with topics ranging from academic achievement and classroom behavior to personal growth and professional development such as team building and leadership. Groups can book half-day or full-day workshops, a 1.5-hour clinic or a multi-class session, with a suggested maximum of 10 to 15 participants.

Hope & Honor is an equine-assisted learning program run with the Erie VA Medical Center's Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program. Veterans in that program attend weekly sessions at the farm at no cost. See our guide to equine therapy for veterans.

The Horses and Staff

The website lists a herd of 8 to 10 therapy horses, many of them on loan from their owners. Amanda Shields is the executive director, Kimberly Danylko is the program director and Pam Dlugas is the equine manager.

History

The program began in 1981 as Therapeutic Riding of Erie County for the Handicapped (TREC), serving 21 riders in its first year at three local stables. It operated in Fairview for about four decades before moving to Amber Meadow Farm on Barton Road in Waterford in 2022.

Volunteering

Volunteers help with classes, horse care and special events. The center lists more than 200 volunteers. To sign up, email volunteer@hopehorseback.org.

Location

The facility is at 10370 Barton Road, Waterford, PA 16441, in eastern Erie County. Mail goes to PO Box 483, Waterford, PA 16441.