About VHAT

As a 501 (c(3) non-profit organization, Vermont Horse-Assisted Therapy, Inc. (VHAT) receives no government funds and relies on grants, fundraising events, individual and corporate donations, and minimal tuition to meet its operating budget. VHAT is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors and supported by a part-time director and a volunteer staff.

Mission

Vermont Horse-Assisted Therapy, Inc. (VHAT)'s mission is to improve the minds, bodies, and spirits of children and adults through the use of the horse in therapy, and to be an inspiration and educational resource to the therapeutic riding profession, both regionally and nationally.

Purpose

1. To provide an environment where riders can realize their potential through empowerment and independence.
2. To foster and encourage the unique bond and valuable therapeutic connection between the horses and the students.
3. To support the development of Therapeutic Riding.

Values

1. To provide safe, effective and fun therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with emotional, economic, mental or physical challenges.
2. To provide a compassionate, caring, nurturing and respectful environment for the central Vermont therapeutic riding community.
3. To provide an accessible program which overcomes physical, emotional and financial barriers (limitations/obstacles).
4. To provide a well-cared-for facility and animals.
5. To provide expertise and knowledge of therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted activities.
6. To provide a strong and sustainable organization through fiscal responsibility.

About Horse Assisted Therapy

VHAT is about overcoming limitations and learning to ride. Riding a horse gives something very powerful to a person with disabilities--that sense of control which is often missing from their lives. The feeling of accomplishment that comes from riding and maneuvering a 1,000-pound horse is strong medicine. It turns defeat into victory and self-doubt into self-confidence.

Many VHAT students experience a freedom of movement that they have never felt before. The horse produces a three-dimensional movement pattern very similar to the movement of the human pelvis during normal, upright ambulation, or walking. This pattern cannot be duplicated in the usual clinical setting.

Therapeutic riding builds the participant's coordination and balance, while strengthening muscles. This leads to better posture and upper body strength, which are key ingredients for improving respiratory development and circulation.

In addition to physical therapy, students enjoy horseback riding and their self-esteem and confidence grows along with their cognitive, physical and social skills. For teenagers at risk, horseback riding provides a highly supervised but exciting endeavor that directly appeals to their desire for high-risk activities while fostering new skills in protecting their personal safety and well-being.