Special Strides
Monroe Township, New Jersey
Special Strides is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at Congress Hill Farm in Monroe Township, New Jersey, serving children and adults with special needs. Its licensed therapists use hippotherapy in physical, occupational and speech therapy, and the center also offers adaptive riding and unmounted horsemanship programs.
- Physical therapy using hippotherapy
- Occupational therapy using hippotherapy
- Speech-language therapy using hippotherapy
- Adaptive (therapeutic) riding
- Mounted and unmounted adaptive horsemanship
- Equine facilitated learning (unmounted)
- Equus learning program for adolescents and adults
- Children and adults with special needs
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delay and genetic syndromes
- Learning disabilities
- Sensory integration disorders
- Speech-language disorders
- Traumatic brain injury or stroke
More about this center
About the Program
Special Strides opened in the autumn of 1998, according to its website. Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists on staff use the horse's movement as part of every client's plan of care, alongside approaches such as neurodevelopmental treatment, sensory integration and motor learning.
Adaptive riding is taught by certified adaptive riding instructors, and adaptive horsemanship sessions can be mounted or unmounted. The equine facilitated learning program is hands-on and unmounted: participants learn skills such as grooming a horse in the correct order, parts of the horse, using body language to lead a horse and how their own behavior affects the horse. Sessions can be individual or group. The Equus program offers grooming, leading and other unmounted activities for adolescents and adults, with goals that include communication, confidence and teamwork.
The Horses and Staff
The staff page lists Laurie Landy, OTR/L, as Founding Director, Susie Rehr, PT, HPCS, as Executive Director and Jane Burrows, PT, DPT, HPCS, as Director of Operations. The therapy team includes physical therapists, occupational therapists (OTR/L) and speech-language pathologists (CCC-SLP), and the horsemanship staff includes instructors with CTRI and CTR credentials.
Volunteering
Volunteers must be 14 or older. Those with horse experience are trained to work with the horses, and those without serve as sidewalkers during therapy sessions and riding lessons. Volunteers also help with the facility, the office and fundraising events, and the center holds ongoing training workshops.
Location
Special Strides is at 118 Federal Road, Monroe, NJ 08831, on Congress Hill Farm in central New Jersey. The farm has indoor and outdoor arenas, wooded trails, sensory equipment such as swings, a trampoline and a balance-beam course, vegetable gardens, cats, goats, chickens and alpacas, and a heated and air-conditioned therapy clinic. The center's directions page gives routes from the New Jersey Turnpike, Route 33 and Route 9.
From public records, not yet reviewed by the center · Last updated Oct 2026 Suggest an edit
Common Questions
Answered from the center’s own website and public records.
How do I get started?
Call (732) 446-0945 or email information@specialstrides.com to schedule a site visit. The visit includes a tour, a meeting with a therapist and a talk about goals and possible session times. Intake forms can be completed ahead of time.
How much do sessions cost?
As listed on its website, a 45-minute PT, OT or speech therapy session is $200 and a 45-minute adaptive horsemanship session (mounted or unmounted) is $100. Financial assistance is offered each year through the Steven Werthan Memorial Fund, and clients can apply. See our guide to equine therapy costs.
When are sessions held?
The center runs year-round, rain or shine except in extreme temperatures, on Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Most sessions last 45 minutes.
Location
Monroe Township, New Jersey 08831
Questions to Ask When You Call
The center is the best source for these answers.
- Are you running now, and taking new riders?Start here. We couldn’t confirm a current schedule.
- Which ages and needs do you work with?Ask about experience with your rider’s specific condition.
- Is a licensed PT, OT or speech therapist involved?Therapist-led hippotherapy is usually the only kind insurance may cover.
- What does a session cost, and are there scholarships?Many nonprofit programs offer sliding scales or sponsored spots.
- Do you have a mounting ramp or lift?Important for riders who use a wheelchair or need help mounting.