Special People United to Ride (SPUR) works to bring the proven benefits of therapeutic horsemanship to our community through the following programs:
- Therapeutic Horsemanship — An eight-week program that provides therapeutic horsemanship to children and adults with disabilities. Mounted and unmounted activities are customized to each participant’s individual needs and abilities.
- Horses for Heroes — Programs are offered at no cost to veterans and active duty military. Sunnyside Equestrian Center is proud to offer specially tailored programs and Horses for Heroes workshops for both groups and individuals. All programs are run by PATH certified therapeutic riding instructors and PATH certified Equine Specialists. Maximum of 10 veterans per workshop.
- Equine Environment for Learning — A custom eight-week program developed for school groups for up to 10 participants. The curriculum consists of classroom sessions, plus mounted and unmounted activities with horses. Goals such as team building, respect and responsibility are encouraged and enhanced throughout the program. Participants will explore horse behavior and care, along with learning basic riding skills. PATH certified instructors.
- Stable Beginning — Designed for fifth to eighth graders, this program uses interactions with horses to develop self-esteem, feelings of empowerment, and confidence.
Volunteers Needed!
Caring, dedicated individuals ages 14 years and older are needed to assist SPUR lessons. Volunteers participate in the therapeutic horseback riding lessons as leaders and sidewalkers. Arriving 20 to 25 minutes before the start of a lesson, volunteers groom and prepare the horse. They are also welcome to help with daily barn chores such as grooming, sweeping, cleaning tack, etc. Without them, we would not be able to accomplish all that we do.
Each year we honor two individuals, one adult and one junior, as volunteers of the year. The names of honored volunteers are inscribed on a plaque that is displayed in the waiting area for all to see.
Volunteer Requirements:
Must be 14 years or older
Must be able to walk for one hour and jog for short periods of time.
Must be able to support the weight of a rider when necessary.
Download Volunteer Application
Special People United to Ride 