100 WWCG Invests in Horses for Kids

Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre can now go shopping for another horse, thanks to 100 Women Who Care Guelph.

With the benefit of a member presentation on behalf of Sunrise, each 100 WWCG member was given a window into the challenges a special needs person faces.

Isolation. Loneliness. No control. The “other” among us.

These phrases are so often found linked in describing the lives of children and adults coping with either physical or cognitive special needs. The world becomes a very small place, with little opportunity for socialization, the making of friends, or the opportunity to take control of some aspect of your life, and denies them all the benefits those things accrue.

Fortunately there are helping hands out there in our community, a valuable one being Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre. There, Therapeutic Riding Association certified instructors, along with an army of volunteers, have helped create a community where through weekly riding lessons those with special needs aged 3 and up can develop muscle strength, improve balance and concentration, make friends, and develop a sense of achievement and independence resulting in increased self-esteem and self-confidence.

It has always been a simple formula: Kids + Horses = Magic.

With a donation of over $13,000 from 100 WWCG, Sunrise can now purchase one more therapy horse, thereby shortening their waiting list, sponsor more individuals to the program, and expand their barn areas which allow the kids to work with their own horse.

This donation marks the beginning of the fourth year of supporting Guelph charities for 100 WWCG, reaffirming their compassion for others and their connection to community. For more information or to join, visit www.100womenwhocareguelph.com.