Tomball Regional Health Foundation awards a $10,000 grant to SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship to provide therapeutic riding lessons to promote healthy outcomes for children with disabilities throughout Tomball, Magnolia, Waller communities. 

SIRE is so proud to partner with the Tomball Regional Health Foundation to bring better health outcomes to children of Montgomery County through therapeutic horseback riding. This $10,000 grant from the Tomball Regional Health Foundation will underwrite the cost of 10 children with special needs being able to experience the life changing benefits of therapeutic horseback riding at SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship. The movement of the horse mirrors the three-dimensional motions required for the human walking gait: side-to-side, front-to-back and rotational. No other form of therapy can simultaneously produce these three movements while also propelling the rider through the dimension of space.

“This gift will enable SIRE to help our young riders live their best lives, to really facilitate a transformation in their world” explained Joe Wappelhorst, executive director at SIRE. “We are so grateful for the foundation’s generosity in recognizing and funding this need. In addition to the benefits of the actual riding, the powerful connection between human and horse helps build confidence, trust and so much more. To interact with horses, you must be outside, which also improves mood and focus.”

Participants in SIRE’S therapeutic riding programs show improved social functioning, improved language and communication skills, better emotional regulation, better behavior, increased motivation, higher confidence and self-esteem, better focus in the classroom, increased capacity to follow instructions, improved school attendance, reduced anxiety, generally improved mood.

Interestingly, physical benefits such as improvements in body awareness, core strength, balance and integration of small and large motor skills development have also been shown to be important in helping boost a person’s reading skills. “Tomball Regional Health Foundation is pleased to support SIRE in working with the children with disabilities in our community to improve their cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being, said Vicki Clark TRHF Chairwoman. Our mission is to promote wellness and improve health status for all residents in our communities through programs and these types of programs definitely does just that.”