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Newtown Therapeutic Riding Center

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Boots and Buddies Goal: Acquire a location to establish an accredited Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Center in Newtown/Sandy Hook, CT for the surrounding communities.

Vision: Build a facility in alignment with rigorous PATH Intl. standards that includes:
  + a barn to accommodate up to six horses;
  + outdoor ring;
  + covered arena;
  + sensory trail;
  + pasture for horses;
  + educational classroom; and
  + family viewing room.

Note: We are happy to discuss land donations for the center.

Service: Boots and Buddies is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides therapeutic riding and equine-assisted activities that promote the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being of individuals with special needs.


Our Riders: Boots and Buddies riders include individuals with a broad range of special needs and challenges including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, sensory disorder, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, amputation and PTSD.  Located in western Connecticut, Boots and Buddies can draw riders from 5 years old and up from over 20 neighboring communities across the state and New York.

Mission Statement: Our mission at Boots and Buddies is to empower riders who are navigating through a variety of physical, cognitive, sensory, and/or psychosocial challenges by providing equine assisted activities and therapeutic horseback riding.

Needs:  The Newtown/Sandy Hook location reaches a large client population that does not have local access to therapeutic riding services in the surrounding geographic location in western Connecticut.

Our outreach population includes:
- 1,723 children and youth with special needs across 5 local communities; 
- 44,890  adults with disabilities with special needs and/or PTSD; and
- 38,249 Veterans with disabilities and/or PTSD.


Our Program: Boots and Buddies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic riding program located in Newtown, CT. Therapeutic riding, a form of cognitive and physical therapy, provides riders with the opportunity to experience the unique human-animal bond. Boots and Buddies has developed a multitude of different equine-related activities for therapeutic purposes, collectively known as equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT). These activities are supervised by a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) Certified Therapeutic Riding instructor with the assistance of trained volunteers.

With a board certified occupational therapist on staff, Boots and Buddies is also equipped to provide Hippotherapy which is physical, occupational, or speech therapy, prescribed by a physician and delivered by a team that includes a licensed, specially-trained therapist. The horse’s movement is essential to assist in meeting therapy goals.

Affiliations: Boots and Buddies has established affiliations with a number of local organizations whose goals and objectives are mutually supportive.  Affiliations include:

·      PATH International
·      United Way of Western Connecticut
·      Autism Speaks
·      Animal Nation



Boots and Buddies Founder: Diana Kruzshak

Visit us at: http://bootsandbuddies.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bootsandbuddies/

Boots and Buddies website is currently changing from .com to .org :)

Organizer

Diana Kruzshak
Organizer
Newtown, CT

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