Help us improve our Miracles experience for riders and their families

Imagine the first time a child in a wheelchair comes to participate in therapeutic riding at Miracles in Motion: the courage it takes to trust a horse, the volunteers and instructor to make it a safe and effective experience. Rolling into the arena can be intimidating – a large open space bustling with horses being led in the arena, other children and parents preparing for class, and volunteers waiting to assist can be overwhelming.

Now imagine the experience with our new “front door” to the arena.There is an overhang that protects them from inclement weather and just inside the door is a convenient, handicapped-accessible bathroom. There is a quiet room if it is all too much to take in at once. The sounds from the arena are muted and in that relative quiet, volunteers are introduced, helmets are fitted and questions answered. A safe, calm and confidence-building introduction to an exciting but potentially anxiety-producing therapeutic riding session.

The arena lobby expansion is consistent with our goal of providing diverse equine activities for children and adults with special needs, as well as military veterans who will have a space to gather before and after classes that will contribute to the bonding experience integral to their continual development.