Saddle Up!

Largest Programs

Saddle Up! reported its largest program on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:

HORSE-BASED PROGRAMS:1. ADAPTIVE RIDING- FORMERLY NAMED THERAPEUTIC RIDING SADDLE UP!'S ADAPTIVE RIDING (AR) PROGRAM IS AN EQUINE-ASSISTED ACTIVITY WHERE PARTICIPANTS BUILD THEIR MOUNTED AND UNMOUNTED ... (More)
HORSE-BASED PROGRAMS:1. ADAPTIVE RIDING- FORMERLY NAMED THERAPEUTIC RIDING SADDLE UP!'S ADAPTIVE RIDING (AR) PROGRAM IS AN EQUINE-ASSISTED ACTIVITY WHERE PARTICIPANTS BUILD THEIR MOUNTED AND UNMOUNTED HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS, AND IN THE PROCESS, BUILD SKILLS OF INDEPENDENT LIVING. OUR PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS ADAPT THE LESSON FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY TO THE COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. SECONDARY BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN OBSERVED BY SADDLE UP! FAMILIES INCLUDE IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCE, ENDURANCE, COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION, SPEECH, AND ATTENTION. OUR ADAPTIVE RIDING PROGRAM SERVES CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE AGE OF 4 THROUGH THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY. SADDLE UP!'S AR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR WEEKLY LESSONS LED BY A PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. LESSONS CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM 30 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR AND CAN INCLUDE UP TO 4 PARTICIPANTS. SADDLE UP!'S PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS ARE TRAINED TO ADAPT DIFFERENT RESOURCES WITHIN THE LESSON TO ENHANCE A PARTICIPANT'S ABILITIES. PARTICIPANTS ARE PROVIDED A VOLUNTEER LEADER FOR THEIR HORSE AND TWO VOLUNTEER SIDEWALKERS, AS NECESSARY, TO HELP SUPPORT AND INTERACT WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LESSON. THE THERAPY HORSE, AND THEIR TACK AND LESSON EQUIPMENT ARE PRESCRIBED TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND MANY ADAPTIONS CAN BE MADE FOR COMFORT, FIT, AND EASE OF USE. EACH INSTRUCTOR CREATES A LESSON TAILORED TO EACH PARTICIPANT'S LEARNING STYLE. HORSE SELECTION IS CUSTOMIZED TO ENHANCE THE CHILD'S GOALS BY GAIT, BREADTH AND TEMPERAMENT. SADDLE UP! DEVELOPED AND USES RIDES AS THEIR SYSTEM OF ASSESSMENT AND IN 2019 ADDED THE PEDICAT PRE- AND POST-ASSESSMENT FOR INDEPENDENT DAILY LIVING SKILLS. THE RIDES PROGRAM ALLOWS OUR PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR TO SET AND MEASURE PARTICIPANTS' RIDING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, FROM THE FUNDAMENTALS TO CANTERING. GOALS ARE BASED ON THE PARTICIPANT'S ABILITIES AND INCLUDE FAMILY INPUT. AT THE END OF EACH SESSION, FAMILIES ARE UPDATED VIA AN END OF SESSION REPORT ON HOW THEIR CHILD HAS WORKED TO ATTAIN THEIR GOALS. EVERY AR LESSON IS SUBSIDIZED BY 75% TO KEEP OUR FEES LOW. IN ADDITION, FINANCIAL AID IS AVAILABLE ON A SLIDING SCALE FOR THOSE PARENTS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD OUR $35/RIDE LESSON FEE. 2. THERAPY SERVICES- FORMERLY NAMED HIPPOTHERAPY SADDLE UP!'S THERAPY SERVICES (TS) OFFERS PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPY THAT INCORPORATES EQUINE MOVEMENT AS A TREATMENT STRATEGY. OUR THERAPISTS SKILLFULLY DIRECT THE MOVEMENT OF THE HORSE TO CHALLENGE AND ENGAGE THE CLIENT'S NEUROMUSCULAR AND SENSORIMOTOR SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS THE CLIENT'S CHALLENGES, SUCH AS DEFICITS IN BALANCE, ENDURANCE, COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION, SPEECH, AND ATTENTION. WITH THESE SYSTEMS REGULATED, PATIENTS ARE ABLE TO INTERACT OPTIMALLY WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT SHOWING IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTENTION, SENSORY REGULATION, COMMUNICATION, MUSCLE ENGAGEMENT, AND POSTURAL CONTROL. THE DYNAMIC MOVEMENT OF THE HORSE COMBINED WITH THE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT CAN HELP PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL CHANGE, RESULTING IN INCREASED INDEPENDENCE IN MOBILITY, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, AND INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY LIFE. THERAPY SERVICES TREATS CLIENTS WITH DISABILITIES AS YOUNG AS 2 YEARS OLD THROUGH THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY. THE THERAPY SERVICES PROGRAM IS OFFERED YEAR-ROUND AND APPOINTMENTS ARE SCHEDULED AND LED BY A LICENSED PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL OR SPEECH THERAPIST THAT HAS ALSO BEEN CERTIFIED AS A HIPPOTHERAPY CLINICAL SPECIALIST. THE APPOINTMENT ALSO INCORPORATES THE EXPERTISE OF A PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. A TYPICAL APPOINTMENT IS 45 MINUTES. THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT ADDRESS HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS AS IN OUR ADAPTIVE RIDING PROGRAM. MEDICAL PROGRESS NOTES ARE COMPLETED FOLLOWING EACH APPOINTMENT TO ASSESS FUNCTIONAL CHANGE TOWARDS GOALS AND GUIDE FURTHER PLAN OF CARE. 3. EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING (EAL) SADDLE UP!'S EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING (EAL) PROGRAM IS AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING APPROACH WHICH INVOLVES STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH HORSES TO BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE, IMPROVE SOCIAL SKILLS, AND REINFORCE ACADEMIC SKILLS. USING THE BARN AND OUR FARM AS A DYNAMIC CLASSROOM, STUDENTS ALSO GET TO PARTICIPATE IN ARTS, CRAFTS, HIKES, GAMES, AND DISCOVERY. THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE WITH LEARNING AND/OR SOCIAL DIFFERENCES. FUN ON THE FARM (SUMMER ONLY) FUN ON THE FARM IS A DAYTIME, SUMMER ONLY, EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS ATTEND SADDLE UP! DAILY, FOR A WEEK, AND DISCOVER THE FARM FROM OUR HERD'S POINT OF VIEW. ACTIVITIES SUCH AS NATURE HIKES, HORSE HANDLING, CRAFTS, WATER PLAY, AND RIDING LESSONS WILL TEACH STUDENTS LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. OUR FUN ON THE FARM PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE AGE OF 6 THROUGH THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY.4. EQUESTRIAN CLUB THE SADDLE UP! EQUESTRIAN CLUB (SUEC) IS COMPRISED OF RIDERS WHO HAVE EXCELLED THROUGH THE ADAPTIVE RIDING PROGRAM AND ARE WORKING ON MASTERING THEIR HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS. EACH SUEC MEETING GIVES RIDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS WORK, BARN WORK, RIDING, AND HORSE CARE. RIDERS ARE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAVE ACHIEVED LEVEL #4 IN RIDES, THROUGH OUR ADAPTIVE RIDING PROGRAM, AND SHOWED CONTINUED INTEREST IN EXCELLING THEIR HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS. THE SUEC MEETS TWICE A MONTH IN THE SPRING AND FALL AND FOR A FULL WEEK IN THE SUMMER TO GAIN THEIR ADVANCED HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS. SPRING AND FALL MEETINGS ARE 2 HOURS LONG AND THE SUMMER MEETING IS 3 HOURS LONG FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THIS ALLOWS TIME FOR EXTENSIVE UNMOUNTED AND MOUNTED PRACTICE TIME. OCCASIONAL FIELD TRIPS ARE SCHEDULED TO FARMS, VETERINARIAN CLINICS, AND HORSE SHOWS FOR ADDITIONAL HORSEMANSHIP EXPERIENCES. THE SADDLE UP! EQUESTRIAN CLUB CURRICULUM IS MODELED AFTER THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE UNITED STATES PONY CLUB. SADDLE UP!'S PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS BREAK DOWN THE KNOWLEDGE SET FORTH BY THE UNITED STATES PONY CLUB TO ASSIST RIDERS IN LEARNING THESE HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS AT THEIR OWN PACE. INSTRUCTION IS ENHANCED AS INSTRUCTORS TEACH TO EACH RIDER'S LEARNING STYLE. GOALS ARE SET BASED ON THE RIDER'S ABILITIES AND AREA(S) OF INTEREST. 5. INTERACTIVE VAULTING- SADDLE UP!'S INTERACTIVE VAULTING (IV) PROGRAM IS AN EQUINE-ASSISTED ACTIVITY WHERE PARTICIPANTS PERFORM MOVEMENTS ON AND AROUND THE HORSE WHILE THE HORSE IS BEING LUNGED ON A CIRCLE. DURING A LESSON, OUR PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED VAULTING INSTRUCTOR DIRECTS VAULTERS TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR HORSE IN ORDER TO FOSTER TEAMWORK, TEACH RESPECT FOR THE HORSE, FOSTER INDEPENDENCE, BUILD CONFIDENCE, AND ENCOURAGE SOCIAL INTERACTION. OUR INTERACTIVE VAULTING PROGRAM SERVES CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES FROM THE AGE OF 6 THROUGH THEIR 19TH BIRTHDAY. 6. ALUMNI TRANSITIONS- SADDLE UP'S ALUMNI TRANSITIONS PROGRAM IS A YEAR ROUND PROGRAM WHERE SADDLE UP! GRADUATES FROM THE AGE OF 19 THROUGH THEIR 26TH BIRTHDAY GET TO WORK ON THEIR MOUNTED RIDING SKILLS, UNMOUNTED HORSEMANSHIP SKILLS, AND LIFE SKILLS. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE GROUP IS "LEARNING, HELPING, & RIDING." PARTICIPANTS ARE ASSIGNED TO A WEEKLY, 1.5 HOUR LESSON LED BY A PATH INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. LESSONS OPERATE DURING THE DAY (NO EVENING OR WEEKEND LESSONS AVAILABLE) AND INCLUDE UP TO 3 PARTICIPANTS. (Less)