Saddle Up!
Check out this interview with Saddle Up! Executive Director Audrey Kidd.
In Friendship,
Jamie Galvin- YLC Member
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What made you start Saddle Up?
Saddle Up! started as a dream and launched as a one night a week program – in daylight and good weather only – for 10 students – in a borrowed ring using horses and tack on loan as well. Our founders knew that the healing power of the horse/human connection could make a difference in the lives of children who are differently abled. Saddle Up! is now a year-round program that will serve nearly 180 children/youth this year. Saddle Up! is the oldest and largest program of its kind in the region, and the only one exclusively serving children and youth who have disabilities.
What your biggest challenge that your students faces with Saddle Up!
Our students live with a wide range of disabilities. About half of our participants have a physical challenge and half have a developmental disability. Many of our riders are children with autism or Down syndrome.
What impact have your students had on you?
Our participants are committed to their riding and work very hard. They are great role models for facing your fears and being persistent in achieving your goals. Our riders work together in preparing their horses and in their lessons and model team work and collaborative friendship for us every day. We are privileged to be a part of their journey to greater physical strength, improved cognitive, communication and social skills, greater confidence, and more independence.
What are some goals you have for your students?
Saddle Up’s mission is to impact the lives of children and young adults with disabilities by providing opportunities to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational and recreational experiences with horses. Saddle Up! developed and uses RIDES® as our system of assessment for the Adaptive Riding program. RIDES® allows our PATH International Certified Instructor to teach mounted and unmounted skills and to set and measure participant goals and objectives. 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.
In general, our goals for our riders are greater physical strength, improved cognitive, communication and social skills, greater confidence, independence and self-esteem.
How do you think horses help the students?
Nothing can compare to the power of the horse. The auto industry has put “horsepower” into their engines for decades, but there is a “horse power” beyond strength and speed that only a real horse can provide. Saddle Up! partners with their herd to offer children and youth with disabilities a unique environment to grow and develop. Our horses provide movement, support, learning opportunities, strength, stability, companionship, and much more to participants in all of our different programs.
The need to communicate with a horse calmly promotes emotional awareness, emotion regulation, self-control, and impulse control. It's effective in reducing irritability, agitation, and impulsivity. Equine-assisted therapy increases cooperation, emotional regulation, capacity for delay, and behavioral control for our riders with autism, in particular.
For our children with physical disabilities, the movement of the horse offers a unique type of physical therapy and building of core strength. The preparation of the horse for riding, for instance, involves stretching, light lifting, balance and movement that is fun, but very therapeutic.
What are some of your horses names?
Meet the herd here!
What are some of the activity’s your students do?
Our riders can participate in six different programs – adaptive riding, therapy services, Equine Assisted Learning, Vaulting, Equestrian Club (for our more advanced riders) and Alumni Transitions (for young adults who have graduated from the Saddle Up! program). We also offer a half day summer camp, “Fun on the Farm”, that includes all of the fun you would expect at day camp – water activities, crafts, games and HORSES!
How do you think the horses respond to the child abilities.
Horses are incredibly intuitive animals. It has been documented over the centuries that they understand the needs of their rider, especially small children or unbalanced riders, and respond accordingly.
What a typical day at the ranch like for you and your students?
The days here are full of activity! The day starts at dawn with feeding and watering the horses, preparing the arena for lessons and cleaning the barn. Lessons begin at 8:30 am and go through early afternoon. The evening session is typically between 4 and 8 pm. All six of our programs are year around and over almost 200 lessons take place in a typical week (pre-COVID numbers). The day ends after 8 pm when the barn is closed down for the evening with a final check on all of the horses.
What do you want to see in the future happen at your ranch?
We are working very hard to get back to pre-COVID numbers of both horses and participants and are nearly that goal! We have brought Occupational Therapy back to our programming and also added Equine Assisted Learning, a program that is mobile and is also ideal for kids and young adults who will benefit from equine-assisted therapy but have no interest in riding. We want to see these programs continue to grow! Currently, our waiting list is over 300 children. Bringing children off of that waiting list and into programming is our biggest goal for the future.
What is your student' favorite thing to do with the horses?
They love to RIDE! But they also love to bathe and to paint on the horses, decorating them with Native American symbols or hearts, flowers and rainbows! Many of our students love to work with their horses on the ground, leading them and working with them ‘side by side’.
Do you give out awards to your students!
Yes, every year we have SUPER Show where riders compete in a variety of events and receive ribbons for their placings and we also have SUPER Week, where riders are recognized for their achievements. We also have four special awards each year that are a tradition at Saddle Up and are based on points awarded at SUPER Show!
High Point Overall Award
High Point Basic Obstacle Winner
Lynne Evans Dressage Award
High Point Basic Equitation Winner
We also celebrate sportsmanship and hard work through awards.
Do you think you will ever have adults ride at your ranch and can benefit from it?
Our mission does not include adults at this time and there are other programs in the area who serve adults. As the only program in the area exclusively serving adults, it is unlikely that we would expand the include adults when we have so many unserved children.
Do you think the ranch helps the student become more independent and responsible?
Yes we have many examples of children who have ridden in our programs for many years who have gone on to graduate from college, pursue the career of their dreams, compete in equestrian events on a national level and many more.
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