Maryland Therapeutic Riding gears up for expansion

The Baltimore Sun

Maryland Therapeutic Riding is at Mother Nature's mercy.

A hot day, a steady rain or a heavy snow is all it takes to shut down the outdoor Crownsville program that brings together people with disabilities and horses.

Uncomfortable or even unsafe weather conditions regularly force the center to call any combination of its 90 clients and 200 volunteers to cancel classes and cram in makeup sessions in an already tight riding schedule, said Glenda Bland, 58, a spokeswoman for the center.

"We're so weather dependent right now," Bland said.

That will soon change, after the nonprofit's purchase of the 26 acres that it has been leasing for seven years.

The deal, announced Tuesday, was in the works for two years. Construction began last month on the $400,000, 95-by-150-foot indoor arena. It will be equipped with a mounting area, an observation deck and safety boards around the riding ring.

The arena is being built on top of one of the three outdoor rings and should be completed in September.

Future plans call for adding a building for classes, which are now held in the center's office in what looks like a construction-style trailer.

The Towson-based France-Merrick Foundation, and a land donation from Koch Homes, made the expansion possible.

"They're a fit for our funding that helps people with disabilities," said Robert Schaefer, executive director of the France-Merrick Foundation. "They run a good operation, and their program is somewhat unique."

Maryland Therapeutic Riding works with children and adults with various disorders, from developmental to neuromotor. Many clients have cerebral palsy or autism.

Autistic clients can form an emotional bond with horses, Bland said.

Horses can sense the need for the support they can give, and the client understands the horse is there to support them.

The center offers a therapy riding program of 45-minute sessions over the course of several weeks that teach clients how to ride and care for horses.

Hippotherapy sessions, taught by licensed therapist, are more rehabilitative and are geared toward improving motor skills, balance and endurance.

"You're utilizing the movement of a horse as a treatment," said Patti Klausing, a licensed and certified occupational therapist, and director of volunteer programs at the center. "I feel that the human-animal bond is a powerful tool to soothe and heal."

Nine-year-old Emma Adams, who was born with Down Syndrome, has been riding at the therapeutic center for more than a year, particularly to strengthen her abdominal muscles.

"This is something special for her," said her mother, Lynne Adams, 43, of Severna Park. On Wednesday, Klausing worked with Emma on exercises designed to improve her posture and increase her attention span and steering skills. While Emma held the reins, a volunteer on each side held one of her legs and a third led Claire, a chocolate Belgian-draft quarterhorse.

Klausing played various games with Emma to make sure she didn't get bored.

"The nice thing, especially with a child, is they don't know its therapy," Bland said. "They're just having a good time."sharahn.boykin@baltsun.com

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