RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center is a unique non-profit started by Dr. Wendy Schonfeld that helps children, adults and local veterans with special needs one horse ride at a time.
By: Lanae Brody
Dr. Wendy Schonfeld is a mom, chiropractor, special olympics coach and a PATH certified equestrian instructor. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also a philanthropist who launched her own nonprofit RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center in the countryside area of Clover South Carolina, and although she has many ambitions, her organization and what it does to help others is her passion.
“RideAbility is a therapeutic riding center and we work with children and adults with special needs,” Schonfeld explains to The Voluntourist. “We get to do all our great work while they’re riding a horse.”
The organization works with people with disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injuries just to name a few. Schonfeld and her team of pre-screened volunteers, spend time working with patients both physically and mentally.
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“We’re working on building core strength, balance, coordination, stability, working on focus and attention and completing taskly skills,” she explains all while getting exercise in.
But that’s not all. It helps the students in several ways.
“Students can gain physical, emotional, and mental rewards from horseback riding. A person with a physical disability may experience improvement in flexibility, balance, and muscle strength through gentle and rhythmic movements of the horse,” their website states. “An individual with mental or emotional disabilities may also form a unique relationship with a specific horse, which will lead to improved self-esteem and confidence. People with learning or developmental disabilities are motivated to increase their concentration, focus and attention. At RideAbility riding is for everyone.”
And that includes any age. The Therapeutic Riding Center and Dr. Schonfeld are happy to take on just about anyone who wants to ride on a horse. Her patients currently range in age from 4 to 72-years-old.
“The autism spectrum is so wide, and we work with children that are high functioning, verbal to lower functioning to non verbal. So our lesson plans have to be personalized for our riders to achieve their individual success.”
What’s even more amazing about the RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center program is the fact that they do not turn those away who cannot afford to ride. The organization, which is also a 5013C, provides funding for a little over half of its riders, and Schonfeld is constantly focused on raising money so everyone can participate.
“We’re going out there, whether it be writing grants, having horse shows and hosting numerous fundraisers,” she explains of her community who has helped immensely along the way. “With rent and hay and doctors, we are constantly out there trying to find sources so that people can continue to ride with us.”
All of the horses go through training in order to work with Schonfeld’s clients and although they are an imperative part of the Therapeutic Riding Center, so are the volunteers. Most people ride once or twice a week and they need a three to one ratio during riding lessons.
“Volunteers are the backbone of our organization,” Schonfeld said. “We have over 50 volunteers a week that help our center succeed. With 25 certified special Olympic coaches to help prepare for both North and South Equestrian Special Olympics. We also need volunteers in the barn getting the horses ready, doing the barn, the stalls, the trough and of course our lessons, keeping the riders safe, encouraging them, supporting them and helping them achieve incredible things.”
Since a young girl growing up in the Bronx she has always had a love for horses. No one knew how or why. She just needed to be near them, touch them. She began volunteering any place she could just to be around them and learn to ride. Dr. Schonfeld has been involved with special Olympic since she was in high school and has always had a passion working with children and adults with amazing ABILITIES. She never thought of it as a disability. The athletes were extrodinary.
Dr. Schonfeld’s daughter was born with bilateral clubfeet and horses were the one sport that she could do and do incredibly. When she was riding her feet issues didn’t matter. She was able to ride just like everyone else. Horses became her passion too.
Schonfeld was watching a young boy riding one day laughing and giggling from his belly when he was done they lifted him into a wheelchair. It was that day she knew all of her passions would come together.
“I want to make a difference for their lives and give back to them,” Schonfeld says of why she does this. “They’ve taught me more about love and pureness and happiness and joy and patience than anybody in the world could.”
No matter what the disability may be, everyone is included at RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center. Schonfeld also uses sensory riding areas and has ramps for those who are in wheelchairs.
“Our riders say they feel free because our horses give them their legs which is really cool. We get to be the encouragement for our riders. We get to be the support. Nobody judges here. It’s just a beautiful thing to be a part of every day.”
For more information on RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center, visit their site www.rideabilitysc.com
And if you’re like to donate to their PayPal page, click here.