Building Relationships For Life
Therapeutic Riding Introduction
Therapeutic Riding Registration
EAP/EAL Referral Form
Flying Changes Equine Program
Flying Changes Equine Program addresses issues involving self-worth, positive assertiveness, self discipline, teamwork, responsibility and nurturing through the use of the direct feedback received during the horse and human experience. This program serves community and Tekoa teens through individual, sibling/family or group sessions. Additionally, unique team building and individualized professional development opportunities are available for companies and organizations.
Understanding the Flying Changes Equine Program
When most people think of therapeutic riding, they envision
children in wheelchairs, docile horses and a crowd of adult volunteers. While
the benefits of such programs have been well documented, another segment of
the population greatly benefits from work with horses through Equine Facilitated
Mental Health activities. As defined by the North American Riding for the Handicapped
Association, www.narha.org, EFMH is an experiential treatment approach that
provides the youth with equine experiences designed to promote self awareness,
self-esteem, and responsibility; while enhancing psychosocial development, growth
and education. Through specially designed interactive experiences, psychosocial
healing and growth may be promoted through:
• Improving self esteem and self-awareness;
• Developing trust in a safe environment;
• Providing social skills training;
• Encouraging sensory stimulation and integration;
• Combining body awareness exercises with motor planning and verbal communication;
• Developing choice-making and goal-setting skills;
• Developing sequencing and problem-solving skills;
• Encouraging responsibility; and
• Promoting pro-social attitudes through care-giving experiences
Services
Tekoa Clients:
The residents of Tekoa utilize the equine program through weekly
1 ½ hour group sessions during the school day. Through Tekoa’s
multi-disciplinary treatment team approach, the equine staff is aware of individual
goals and long term plans and utilizes this information to create unique activities
to address those issues. For instance, a young person with anger management
problems may be paired with a difficult horse, which forces the youth to identify
other coping mechanisms to be successful. Likewise, an individual exhibiting
signs of withdrawal may be given a horse that is gentle to foster communication
and well being. Additional individual or group sessions are arranged for those
residents having an increased difficulty with residential placement and/or an
increased success through the equine program.
The residents of Tekoa are also given vocational opportunities through the equine
program to become barn assistants and managers. The residents that become barn
employees receive additional training on horse care and safety issues in order
to possess the skills to feed and care for the horses throughout the week.
Lastly, residents within our facility can benefit from the flying changes program through
unique team building activities that utilize our best therapists, the four legged
kind. These experiences are catered to the needs of the group and are facilitated
by the equine staff and Tekoa therapists.
Community Clients:
While offering EFMH services to residential youth, similar services are available
to community clients. These individual sessions are offered to youth over ten
years of age and can be combined with sibling services and/or family experiences.
Reins to Ride Therapeutic Riding:
Since the summer of 2003 Tekoa has offered a reins to ride riding program to provide
children with disabilities an opportunity to ride horses. Residents from the
Tekoa girls’, boys’ and Transitions facilities are trained as volunteer
sidewalkers and leaders for this program. While in session as volunteers, the
boys and girls join with community volunteers to create a four-person volunteer
team for each rider.
The Tekoa Reins to Ride Riding Program is mutually beneficial to the Tekoa kids
serving as volunteers and the children with physical disabilities. Through this
program, the Tekoa youth have an opportunity to gain further life skills, including
empathy and concern for others. Meanwhile, the riders increase their physical
abilities and gain new experiences while they and their families gain a better
understanding and respect for the “at-risk” youth that are safely
and compassionately helping make the program possible.
Professional Development & Team Building:
Tekoa is offering individualized half and full day trainings and initiative experiences from the barn environment in the company of horses. These trainings can utilize equine staff as well as Angie Roberts-Dobbins from the Training & Development program. These trainings can address group dynamics, cohesiveness, assertiveness, communication and other professional issues or dilemmas. We encourage you to contact us for a conversation regarding your specific needs.
Facility & Horses:
We have a facility in Floyd on the girls’ residential property that has
a 5 stall barn with two rings, riding trails and 2 large pastures with a creek
supplying the water source. Typically we winter all of our horses at the Floyd
facility yet, in the warm weather months we bring half of the horses to a boarding
facility. The boarding facility, Willow Ridge Farms, is located in Christiansburg
and is therefore, more accessible to the boys’
residential program and our transitional
girls program. The remainder of the horses stay on the Floyd property and
are utilized by the girls at that facility.
The Flying Changes Program currently has ten horses, including
Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Arabians and other mixed breeds. We own 2 of
those horses with the remainder being adopted from the Thoroughbred Retirement
Foundation or free leased from local citizens. These horses have been selected
based upon their abilities to teach coping skills vital to a person’s
success in life, resulting in a unique herd with diverse personalities and training.
Staff :
Tiffany Smith
Tiffany is the Flying Changes Equine program director and has been with Tekoa for nearly eight years. She is a registered instructor with the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association and is a member of several therapeutic riding associations. Additionally she is certified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Level 1 as a Horse specialist through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. Tiffany is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) with a degree from Radford University in Therapeutic Recreation.
Michelle Holling
Michelle joined the Flying Changes staff in May 2006. Her background in working with the at-risk youth population began as a mentor for youth referred from the court system in college. She continued to work with the population in the domestic violence and sexual assault field as the Child Services Coordinator for a local shelter. There she conducted equine assisted learning and facilitated mental health, and again most recently at the Franklin County Court Service Unit as a Juvenile Diversion Officer – working with mostly first time offenders. Michelle is a registered instructor through North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). In addition, she recently acquired the challenging certification in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Level 2 as a Horse Specialist through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).
Tanya Hobbs
Tanya is an equine professional
with more than 25 years of experience in riding, teaching, judging and training
and has been a part-time instructor with Tekoa for six years.
Video:
Reins to Ride Therapeutic Riding Video
Publications:
To read more about the program please check out our newsletter and other the Pegasus Press.
Volume 5(Summer 06) Contact Information:
For general information:
How can I be involved? Tekoa regularly needs volunteers to help exercise and
care for the horses. We also have a great need for consistent volunteers to
become equine mentors, forming a partnership with a child and becoming part
of their support network. We also occasionally need free lease horses for our
program. Lastly, but not least, we greatly appreciate sponsorships and donations. Home |
Girls
Facility |
Boys Facility |
Transitions
House |
CommUnity School |
Flying Changes Equine Program |
Evaluation
and Assessment |
Training and Development
| Expanded Overview |
Contact us
Volume 4(Winter 05)
Volume 3 (Summer2005)
Volume 2 (Fall 2004)
Volume 1 (Winter 2004)
Equine Facilitated Mental Health
Association Article (Spring 2003)
Tiffany Smith, CTRS
Director of Flying Changes Equine Program
930 Cambria Street, Christiansburg, Virginia 24073
(540) 382-6657, Ext. 102
tsmith@chpc2.org
