Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2021

84 PETS www.MtPl easant . Pet | www.MPVet s . Pet | www. f acebook . com/MPpet s F E A T U R E CATR also works with military veterans, called “wounded warriors,” each year. “There are so many intangible parts to what we do with horses that speak to our students in ways different from other therapies,’ Trepen said. Tuition fees for therapeutic riding are charged, the executive director observed, “but most of our students are subsidized through our private donations.” That’s one reason interested persons are encouraged to visit the CATR website, catrfarms.org, and Facebook page to learn how they might help support therapeutic riding. Alongside sponsoring riders, you can donate to add more gentle, intuitive horses to the stable and meet the ongoing need for volunteers to support the students and fundraisers. Therapeutic riding might not answer a child’s dreams of a pony in their backyard or a trusty steed on the trail, but it can provide some astonishing outcomes for many riders whose own dreams have been put on hold by cognitive or physical issues. U CATR staff lead a horse during a therapeutic riding session. Working with trained horses has many benefits for adults and children alike.