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Welcome
to Take the Reins
"For one to fly one only needs to....
Take the Reins"
A nonprofit recreational
therapeutic riding program, founded in 2011 and incorporated
in 2012, Take the Reins serves children 4-18 years of age
with documented disabilities.
Take the Reins
is a member of the
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International (PATH Intl), the national organization that
sets the standards for quality and safety.
Mission Statement: To bring joy and sense of accomplishment
to people with special life challenges through therapeutic
equine riding with the guidance of Christ.
We bring that mission to life by providing a year-round
program on our 12-acre farm near Franklin, TN. For many of
our riders, Take the Reins is one of the few
recreational programs available to them.
To
ensure the safety of its participants and a quality learning
opportunity, Take the Reins
requires all of its instructors to be certified by the
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International (PATH Intl).
In addition, we
provide special training for our dedicated group of
volunteers, who come from all walks of life, age brackets
and locations in the area to serve in the program.
Everyone involved with Take the Reins is exceptional. Our
children, parents and volunteers are the strength and
foundation for our accomplishments every day.
This year we will serve nearly 25 children and youth. They
reside Williamson, Rutherford, Davidson and other surronding
counties. Take the Reins can deal with more than 50
types of disabilities as defined by
federal law including: Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome,
Pervasive Developmental Delay, Autism, non-verbal disorders,
visual and hearing loss, developmental and learning
disabilities, and many others.
For any child, mounting a
horse can be a frightening prospect. But before long, all of
the children are wearing heartwarming grins that lift the
heart. The opportunity for them to leave behind the world of
special classes, tutors, doctors, hospitals and medicine is
often more therapy than the best educational or medical
minds can deliver.
Our Parents are the
strengh of Take the Reins. Brothers, sisters, parents,
friends and extended family members gather to watch their
rider demonstrate their riding skills. All accomplishments
are greeted with fanfare and hugs!
Take the
Reins couldn’t function without the dedication of our nearly
40 Take the Reins dedicated volunteers. We know they are
priceless! Their skills, expertise and passion make a
difference in all that we do from governance by the
visionary Board of Directors, to our dedicated volunteers
who serve in lessons on a weekly basis, and to those who
help with the care of our horse heroes and facilities. We’re
grateful to the individuals and groups that choose to serve
at Take the Reins.
More Than Just a Pony
Ride, Horses, and Hugs, this experience has multiple
opportunities for students to increase physical skills,
social skills and communication skills. Students develop
muscle strength, balance and coordination during riding.
They have the opportunity to develop increased communication
skills and increased positive social interaction with their
riding team. The thrill of riding a horse is an
accomplishment that is immeasurable to students that have
difficulty with mobility, self-control and/or communication.
We have watched students begin the program that could not
sit upright on the horse progress to independent riding.
Parents report students have increased muscle tone.
Instructors report students progressing from nonverbal
status to voluntary greetings and conversations with horses
and riding team members.
For our
children, Take the Reins provides more than just a good
time. Research shows that students who participate in
therapeutic riding can experience physical, emotional and
mental rewards. For individuals with impaired mobility,
horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves their bodies
in a manner similar to a human walking gait. The rider must
continuously contract and relax muscles to re-balance,
improving balance, strength and flexibility.
How to Become a Participant If
you have a child within the ages of 4 to 18 years old and
think they would be a good fit for the Take the Reins
program, contact Jerry Clement at
takethereinsridingcenter@gmail.com or 615-566-7534
to begin the application process.
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