SPRING VALLEY, Ohio — Some horses seem to have the unique ability to connect and understand certain human emotions. These horses can then help people with disabilities.

Today there are nearly 8,000 horses globally who are working at Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International Centers. One of those centers is is the Therapeutic Riding Institute in Spring Valley. It is the Dayton area’s only PATH International Premier Accredited Center and has provided equine assisted services to the Miami Valley for 50 years. 

Therapeutic riding is a type of equine-assisted therapy that uses horses to improve physical, mental and emotional health. It can help people of all ages with a variety of needs, including physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mental illness, autism and developmental delay.

“We can’t teach the horse how to interact with these individuals. It’s something the horses are innately born with,” says TRI Program Manager Sam Ingersoll. “The horse has the unique ability to connect and understand certain human emotions.”

 TRI got its start in 1973 when visionary nurses and horse enthusiasts Betty Lou Townsley and Linden Moore founded this program in Dayton, Ohio. They were inspired after visiting the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center in Augusta, Michigan.

 Starting in Betty’s three-acre backyard, they offered lessons two days a week to students bussed in from local schools. As the program expanded, TRI moved to various boarding facilities before purchasing its own farm in Spring Valley in 2019.

 The facility now has five fulltime employees, eight part time instructors, two licensed mental health professionals and 250 volunteers, all who are 14 or older.

 “We couldn’t do what we do without those volunteers,” said Executive Director Stephanie Llacuna.

According to Ingersoll, therapeutic riding can improve one’s balance, strength, flexibility and coordination. It helps participants identify their feelings and thoughts by working with horses. The unique relationship with the horse can also increase confidence, patience and self-esteem.

 “We have no age cap and we just enrolled a person who is in their 80s,” Llacuna said. “Our youngest participant is five years old.”

 TRI has four key programs, the first being Therapeutic & Adaptive Riding. This program is designed for individuals 5 years and older with a variety of diagnoses.

 The second program is Warriors in Step with Horses, or WISH. This program is carried out alongside a licensed mental health professional, certified instructors and veteran peer recovery specialists. This program targets Veterans and first responders. 

 This program will help participants decrease feelings of isolation, reduce feelings of anxiety about the past and future and learn self-regulation through equine interaction and communication. The veterans program begins again in January.

 “We match riders with horses, and match riders with specific saddles and reins,” Llacuna said. “Some horses are more patient than others, some offer a smoother trot for specific riders. 

 “We have up to 10 riders in this group,” Ingersoll added. “Many of these veterans are overcoming traumas from time in the military, for others it may be substance abuse. For this group it’s more for the connection. They’re learning how to live in the present as opposed to dwelling in the past. The horses do a good job of teaching that.”

 The third program is called Taking the Reins and is facilitated by a licensed mental health professional along with certified instructors. This program involves working alongside horses to achieve goals most important to the participant. This program is for teens and adults.

 The fourth program is called Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Experience, or EAGLE. This unmounted program pairs participants with specially trained horses to work on social and emotional goals that can extend into the classroom and at home. This program was piloted through a collaboration with Kids In New Direction.

TRI also offers a Summer Horse Camp, allowing 32 students to continue their riding lessons, learn proper grooming for their horses, participate in horse-themed crafts and spend time with friends.

 The facility currently has 12 horses. “We’re looking to expand so as our program grows our herd will grow, too,” Ingersoll said.