Long Island Giving Help Together For Charity is my column, where I spotlight a different Long Island-based charity each month. For this column, I focus on HorseAbility.
HorseAbility is a not-for-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of individuals with special needs through horse-based interactions. HorseAbility partners with local communities to provide hope and opportunity, stimulating positive change in the lives of people in need.
HorseAbility was formed in 1993 when its founder, Katie McGowan, lent her horse to a friend who was a physical therapist treating a child with cerebral palsy.
After seeing how the child’s physical and emotional connection with the horse helped with the therapy, Katie sought to combine her education, love of children, and relationship with horses to give back to the community.
HorseAbility has a 20-acre facility located on the campus of The College at Suny Old Westbury. It has three outdoor riding areas, paddock space and a grass track.
HorseAbility offers ‘hippotherapy,’ a type of occupational or speech therapy that involves using a horse’s movement to help patients improve their motor skills, balance, coordination, and communication.
HorseAbility also offers a wide variety of additional services to people with special needs, including riding lessons, summer day camp, goal-oriented activities for a life skill development program, horse companion therapy visitation, and a horse show for riders with disabilities.
HorseAbility’s riding programs allow participants to experience increased confidence, independence and self-esteem. People form unique bonds with the horses, motivating them to increase concentration, patience and discipline.
This unique relationship also allows those with psychological or emotional disabilities to improve their interpersonal relationships. Widely recognized by medical, psychiatric, and social service professionals, research demonstrates that riding horses can provide physical, emotional and mental rewards.
‘Camp HorseAbility’ is the charity’s riding, learning and fun-filled day camp for individuals with special needs. The camp is a 1-week program that takes place annually at the end of each August.
Camp activities include horseback riding, sports, arts and crafts, swimming, and lunches. Each activity is individually tailored to meet the special needs of the campers and offered in a safe and encouraging atmosphere.
If you would like to help HorseAbility, you can do so by donating funds or volunteering time. Individuals can make general donations, sponsor a horse, make in-kind donations or sponsor an event.
HorseAbility also seeks volunteers to assist with horse care, barn chores, lessons, treatment sessions, camp, outreach, fundraising, office work, and facility maintenance. HorseAbility also offers internships for college students interested in learning about working with people with disabilities, animals, non-profit, or equine-assisted activities and therapy.
For more information or to donate funds or volunteer your time, you can visit HorseAbility’s website at https://www.horseability.org/.
Kayla Donnenfeld is a junior at Roslyn High School
