Empowerment through equine-assisted therapy

San Marcos is no longer a one horse town.

RED Arena, an equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding lessons nonprofit, has officially opened its doors and services to the greater San Marcos area.

Equine-assisted therapy has been shown to help those with autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorders, developmental delay, ADD/ADHD, Multiple Sclerosis, speech disorders, genetic syndromes, PTSD, stroke, traumatic brain injury and a host of other issues.

According to RED Arena Physical Therapist, Executive Director and Founder Jen Young, licensed and Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) Registered Physical Therapists use equineassisted therapy to improve balance, posture, range of motion, mobility and gross motor skills.

“Being on the horse gives you this really nice symmetrical pelvic weight shift, which helps stretch your leg muscles and naturally engage the core, so all the things we want to work on in physical therapy we get naturally by them just sitting on the horse and the horse walking,” Young said. “And we just add onto that with some modified exercises.”

Jude Gates reaches to grasp the ball volunteer Claudia Reyes hands to him as he gets ready to throw it as part of his activities to strengthen fine motor skills.

Therapists working with patients on communication and sensory disorders also include the use of the horse's movement to engage patients in functional activities and optimize an upright active trunk to facilitate communication and improved behavior, according to Young.

“We have kids that weren’t talking and we get them on the horse and they say their first words and they’re very motivated to talk because they want their horse to go,” Young said. “Their communication comes out more, they’re engaged, making eye contact and then we see their self esteem and confidence start building and that is what we really want for everyone.”

Young started RED Arena with one horse and six kids 10 years ago in Dripping Springs. That location has since grown to serve over 150 people a week.

“It’s funny because I was not a horse person, I was actually kind of scared of horses,” Young said. “But I had a private company doing home visits and I was working with a little girl named Sarah and I started working with her when she was 6 months old and she had Cerebral Palsy Hemiplegia – one side of her body was affected.

“When she was about five we started working on some higher-level balance skills and I remembered that if you get on a horse it helps with your weight shift, it kind of brings your body together, all things I was working on with her, but it’s so much more natural on the horse,” Young said.

Young referred Sarah’s family to an equineassisted therapy place in Georgetown, but there was a waiting list there. So Young volunteered as a physical therapist in hopes of getting her off the waiting list.

“So I went there and I volunteered and I was amazed at how effective it was,” Young said. “They were doing all the things I wanted to work on, but also the kids were excited, they had confidence and self esteem and their families were excited to see them having success. And I thought ‘this is what I want for all my kids.’”

But Sarah didn’t get off the waiting list, so Young thought “I can do this.” She got her certification from the American Hippotherapy Association and PATH and leased her first horse.

“I got Sarah on the horse, and I have known her her entire life – before she talked, before she walked, I had known her – but I got her on the horse and she was a different child on the horse. She was excited and she was glowing; it was amazing,” Young said. “It’s just some kind of magic.”

Young said she was hooked on equineassisted therapy after witnessing the transformation it made for Sarah. She said it was something about watching the kids become confident and empowered while riding.

“When they are going along, it’s this very sensory calming sensation, and then they realize ‘I’m doing this great thing, I’m up on a horse.” Young said. “We try to really empower them with giving them control so even though they may not have the reins, they tell the horse to stop and go, where to turn. It’s a lot of control that a lot of times kids in their daily life, especially kids with disabilities, they don’t get a lot of choices and control in what they are doing.”

Young opened the San Marcos location of RED Arena in October and started offering therapeutic riding with PATH certified instructors, equine-assisted physical therapy and a job training program for San Marcos High School students that are 18 years and older to learn horse care, teamwork and barn management.

With his private duty nurse Jennifer Lawley and PATH certified physical therapist Suzanne Braden assisting, rider Haygen Bradford, 5, gets outfitted with a helmet and a cervical collar before the start of his riding session.

The building was originally donated to Always Wanted A Riding Experience, or A.W.A.R.E., by the Warren and McCoy families approximately 30 years ago. A.W.A.R.E. was struggling to upkeep the building and instead of shutting down, they decided to donate the facilities to RED Arena.

“Brian McCoy was pretty instrumental in the original donation of the property, so he was excited to hear that our program was really established and really well run.”

“We try to really empower them with giving them control so even though they may not have the reins, they tell the horse to stop and go, where to turn. It’s a lot of control that a lot of times kids in their daily life, especially kids with disabilities, they don’t get a lot of choices and control in what they are doing.”

Young said, the McCoy family donated $100,000 to help renovate the space for RED Arena’s needs.

They currently have four working therapy horses as well as several horses living out their retirement on the grassy fields.

They are looking at expanding their services soon with the launch of a reading program, where kids can come in and practice reading aloud.

“Anyone in the community can participate in the reading program, it’s not just for those with disabilities, anyone can read to the horses,” Young said. “It’s a great way to get kids excited about wanting to read and the horses don’t judge them or correct them, so they can just practice reading aloud and the horse just listens.”

They are looking at also adding a counseling center for veteran and family support.

RED Arena will be hosting their annual fundraiser the Round-Up on May 3 - 4 at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. Round-Up is their annual horse show that provides an opportunity for riders of all ability levels to compete in horse events and be cheered on by the community.

There's no charge to park or enter. They will have free wine tasting Friday, May 3. Saturday will be the horse show and free family activities – an obstacle course, petting zoo and lawn games – as well as barbecue plates for sale. A silent auction will be happening on both days. The Round-Up is responsible for approximately a third of RED Arena’s operating budget.

RED Arena San Marcos is located at 1708 Center Point Rd. For more information, visit RED Arena's website.