|
At its very core, therapeutic riding is caring that transforms all the lives it touches. TR uses horses to bring joy and comfort to the hearts of children and adults with physical and emotional disabilities. Today, therapeutic riding is a truly interesting and exciting allied health field, one with sport and recreation, educational, and therapeutic components, and one with great career potential. The
therapeutic riding program at St. Andrews is the first one of its kind
in the United States. The program of study leads to a B.A. in therapeutic
riding, a degree which can open many career paths. And those career paths
are within reach because of the strengths of St. Andrews. As a national
liberal arts college that U.S. News & World Report ranks among the
“Best National Liberal Arts Institutions,” St. Andrews has upheld
its tradition of offering students a general education curriculum which
has continually been recognized for its breadth and depth. And, in keeping
with the college’s mission to encourage students to “transcend
self-interest with a spirit of service,” St. Andrews students have
a long tradition of caring. They show that care through their many hours
of community service, through their commitment to the “Ride-Like-A-Knight”
volunteer therapeutic riding program, and through their involvement with
the Physical Therapy Club. All
this, combined with the rigorous, specialized knowledge and skills found
in the therapeutic riding program, is a powerful educational experience,
one that transcends the classroom and has a direct impact on the lives
of others. The
Singletary Therapeutic Riding Center is located on a 105 -acre tract of
land two miles from the campus. Named for the family foundation that provided
initial funding for the facility, the riding center provides classrooms,
a covered riding arena and training areas for the therapeutic riding program.
The Singletary Riding Center serves as the home of the “Ride-Like-a-Knight”
Therapeutic Riding Program which provides students with hands-on experience
and personalized teacher mentoring. St. Andrews’ TR program serves
as a springboard for students planning to attend graduate school or going
into careers such as teaching, recreational therapy, occupational therapy,
stable management and physical therapy. The
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) has developed
an instructor certification program specifically for therapeutic riding.
The three levels of certification are: Registered Instructor, Advanced
Instructor and Master. Certification available at St. Andrews as a part
of the TR major and minor degrees prepares students to sit for the Registered
Instructor exam and these students with advanced horsemanship can sit
for the Advanced Instructor exam. Career
options are numerous for this fast-growing field. Therapeutic riding serves
children and/or adults who are emotionally impaired and/or physically
disabled. Therapeutic riding specialists may work in private practice
or as part of a treatment team, or both. They may hold one-on-one sessions,
or work with small groups. Therapeutic
riding specialists also work in a variety of settings: riding stables;
therapeutic riding centers; elementary, middle, and high schools; colleges
and universities; medical institutions. Additional options include organization
and administration of therapeutic riding programs. Therapeutic
riding is truly a career field in which students may find flexibility
and challenges for a lifelong vocation. What
is the St. Andrews A
Sample of the Therapeutic Riding courses:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
