THE GOOD PLACE
Unbridled Support
Shining Horizons participants receive physical, social and emotional support, thanks to a team of volunteers, staff, therapists — and six extraordinary horses.
By Kate Rae
Riding lessons are taught by CanTRA-certified instructors, with horses that are specifically trained for therapeutic riding, making it a safe and secure ride every time. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SHINING HORIZONS
AT SHINING HORIZONS, the significance of its name references the whole new worldview, literally and figuratively, that riders experience once they are up on a horse’s back. Located just outside of Saint John, New Brunswick, the volunteer-based centre welcomes around 100 participants each year to reap the multitude of benefits associated with equine therapy.
Shining Horizons — which is affiliated with the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) and Equine Canada — was founded in 1996 by a mother in Saint John looking for activities that would support her young child with cerebral palsy. She’d learned of the benefits of equine therapy, from refining balance and cardiovascular conditioning to improving self-confidence and socialization skills and reducing stress. When they get up on the horse, the kids feel they can finally do something that other children can do, says Richard DeLange, Shining Horizons’ executive director. “They can do something they think is magic or mighty.”
All lessons are taught by instructors certified by CanTRA, and the horses are all specifically trained for therapeutic riding. There’s even a simulated horse on-site that offers a safe way for new participants to get accustomed to the movements of being on a horse before getting on a real one.
“They can do something they think is magic or mighty.”
In 2023, Shining Horizons launched a successful program geared toward neurodiverse youth, led by an occupational therapist. The initiative is unmounted, meaning the participants are around, not on, the horses, and learning about grooming and handling and understanding the horses’ body language. The social impacts were quickly evident, says DeLange. “Once they understood that they were all dealing with the same struggles, they completely opened up. They started making jokes. They started helping each other.” There are a host of cognitive benefits, too — improved focus, problem solving, spatial awareness and sensory integration.
There’s also an equine-assisted trauma recovery program, led by a clinical psychologist, that supports women and children affected by domestic violence, as well as veterans with PTSD, helping them with emotional regulation and stress reduction, and providing a non-traditional, non-verbal space for healing.
Up next on Shining Horizons’ agenda is the Care Farm, geared to young individuals with complex needs, such as fetal alcohol syndrome and autism. This initiative has educational farming facilities, allowing participants to learn, first-hand, seeding, watering, planting, weeding and harvesting. “They learn how to work together, how to communicate in groups, how to complete tasks, what social behaviour is,” says DeLange. At the end of the program, they will have gained crucial life skills along with useful job skills. CAA
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Riding lessons are taught by CanTRA-certified instructors, with horses that are specifically trained for therapeutic riding, making it a safe and secure ride every time. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF SHINING HORIZONS
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SHINING HORIZONS