(Photo above by Leatta)
Imagine a mother’s joy when she hears her adopted four-year-old son make his first sounds as he climbs into the saddle. Imagine a father’s relief when his teenage daughter calls from the residential treatment center and tells him that her horse “Faith” is helping her to learn healthy coping strategies. Imagine working through cancer, PTSD, the life-changing effects of a stroke, or raising a child with cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome or autism and finally finding hope.
Every day, we get phone calls, emails and social media messages from families who have been positively impacted by Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center. We also hear from those who have just learned about us: foster parents and grandparents who are desperate to give their special needs child a sense of freedom and accomplishment, social workers who want to see the lives of at-risk teenagers changed for the better, and spouses who want to help their loved ones find relief.
Equine therapy is dynamic therapy that has been used all around the world since the 1960s to help people who are challenged with physical and cognitive disabilities and emotional and behavioral special needs. The results are profound because horses are living, breathing partners that engage all parts of the mind and body in the process. Equine therapy is the antithesis of a standard medical or mental health treatment room setting…which is exactly why it works.
Studies show that horses can sense human physical and emotional frailties and hidden fears much more easily and completely than other human beings can. The Healing Reins program horses are specially trained to respond to the specific need of each client, helping even the most timid participant feel comfortable and secure. With excellent, certified teaching staff and therapists and well-trained, caring volunteers and it’s easy to see why our programs have impacted so many people in Central Oregon.
Our mission is “to heal with horses.” One of the reasons we can provide healing to so many is because of the generous donations from individuals and businesses in our community. On Saturday, September 12 we are hosting our annual benefit, Diamonds and Dust. With live music and dancing, specialty cocktails by Twist Cocktail Catering Company, a mouth-watering BBQ feast from Country Catering and live and silent auctions packed with incredible items and experiences, it’s a truly special evening that blends our casual Central Oregonian spirit with the sparkle and shine of a fantastic evening out. Guests will get to meet some of our very special four-legged therapists and see our world-class facilities.
Funds raised at Diamonds & Dust allow us to offer scholarships to those in need, give our horses the very best care possible and ensure that our community has a safe, professional place for equine therapy for many years to come.
Visit www.diamondsanddust.org or call 541-382-9410 for tickets and tables. We hope you’ll join us this year but if you can’t make it, call the barn sometime and we’d be happy to show you around. Healing Reins is the only center of its kind in Oregon east of the Cascades, and we want to raise awareness about our unique therapies and how they can help you, or someone you know.
