We offer a unique opportunity that empowers youth in Grades 5-12 to engage with their education, their peers and themselves.
Partnering with public schools and youth-serving community organizations, we invite students to ride, care for and bond with horses and enjoy the five main benefits of therapeutic experiential riding & horsemanship :
Physically, riding can contribute to improved balance, coordination and posture. It can also increase motor control, muscle strength and flexibility and challenge a student’s overall endurance, coordination, and reflexes.
From an educational standpoint, riding can enhance verbal and non-verbal communication skills including word recognition, speech vocalization, and articulation. By working in a stable setting, students gain a better grasp of following instructions and categorizing information, improve cognitive skills and learn how to conceptualize everyday occurrences on a larger, lifelong scale.
Behaviourally, we aim to immensely improve our students’ sense of well-being. A student’s self-esteem and sense of responsibility increases while they master the many skills of horsemanship & riding and the experience allows them to be involved in both group and independent activities.
Riding and overall horsemanship also has a profound psychological effect on developing minds. Our students often feel more motivated, patient, joyful, and courageous. We’ve even heard that students experience a sense of “normalcy” while in the program, gain a greater sense of emotional control and develop an increased interest in their world and that around them.
Our programs help facilitate social well-being for our students and encourage them to develop new friendships and learn how taking part in physical activity is a positive experience.
Learn more about Urban Stable participants
Urban Stable and our instructors are certified and accredited through the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA). Learn more about CanTRA.