EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - Hearts Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. announced it is the recipient of at $23,839 Quality of Life grant from The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which seeks a cure for spinal cord injuries by advancing innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis.
The grant will be used to purchase two Equicizers, a SureHands Lift, and to start a family/caregiver support group.
“Receiving this grant will allow Hearts Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. to serve more individuals with physical disabilities through the use of the SureHands Lift, which will be utilized to assist in the mounting process for non-weight bearing individuals,” Hearts TRC Executive Director Stefanie Green said. “It will also allow us to enhance our program to all populations that we serve by incorporating the use of the Equicizers as an alternative to a traditional mounted lesson. We are also very excited that this grant will enable us to launch our Family/Caregiver Support Group that we have been trying to get off the ground for the past several years. This allows us to broaden our impact on the entire Atlantic County community.”
Hearts TRC works to provide a safe and supportive environment where riders with paralysis and diverse needs, including limited vision, brain injuries, congenital disabilities, get individualized training in horsemanship skills. It helps riders discover their abilities, strengths and preferred learning styles, such as auditory, visual and kinesthetic, to achieve developmental learning and therapy goals.
The Sure Hands lift will be secured at the mounting block adjacent to the outdoor arena, and the Equicizers will be located in a classroom to ensure consistent programming regardless of weather.
Hearts Therapeutic Riding Center, 220 Leap Street in Egg Harbor Township, is located on 25 acres surrounded by woods, with a six-stall barn, outdoor arena, 75-foot round pen, trails and a classroom/office space. The facility provides an ideal setting for participants to experience the life changing benefits of working with horses.
For more information, see HeartsTRC.org or call 609-703-9130.
