Upward Transitions Therapeutic Horsemanship

10/17/2024

Learning social skills is an important part of everyday life, and horses make it easier with their nonjudgmental presence. We love seeing our participants include their equine partners in games, reading together, making eye contact when saying hello, and even those special moments when they ask for a hug. Horses help build confidence, connection, and communication in a safe space. 💙

10/16/2024

Fall weather arrived this morning with a refreshing breeze, just in time for some fun science! 🍂 Autumn’s rider practiced steering with his body, whoas, and navigating past cones, all while making careful plans to grab objects for our ‘sink or float’ experiment. Learning, riding, and a little science—what a perfect combo!”

10/15/2024

Last night, we had a blast learning about different professions! One of our participants has an interest in cryptozoology, and with help from mom, we incorporated some of that curiosity into our activities. Autumn, his favorite horse, joined the fun by selecting a scrambled letter puzzle to work on. She also made the perfect model as we learned about body parts and found rhyming words. It was a night full of creativity and learning for both horses and humans!

10/11/2024

Just like greeting a friend, it’s important to say hi to your horse when you see them. Horses thrive on connection and recognize the effort we put into building trust. 🐴💛 Whether it’s a soft word or a gentle pat, that first ‘hello’ strengthens your bond and sets the tone for a great time together.

10/05/2024

Working with a big horse like Archie builds confidence and self-esteem! This rider has worked on setting boundaries and communicating clearly, even getting Archie to stand quietly to clean his feet.

Horses, with their calming presence and sensitivity, have the power to transform lives. The bond formed through trust, respect, and communication is truly special—one that teaches invaluable life skills along the way.

09/19/2024

Today’s the BIG day for the Big Give! As a small program, every donation makes a huge impact.

**Horses Healing Heroes and Hearts**
At Best View Stable, home of Upward Transitions, horses and humans connect to heal and empower. Our program helps veterans and individuals with special needs find strength and recovery through the power of horses.

Your support helps us care for these incredible animals and keep our services accessible. Please consider donating today—every dollar counts! Together, we can make a difference.

https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/upward-transitions-therapeutic-horsemanship

09/18/2024

We’re having an amazing week! Our riders are back for the Fall Session, and we kicked things off with a fun game about friendship. Together, we talked about what it means to be a good friend and how those qualities help build a strong bond with their horses. It’s important for our riders to understand that their horse isn’t just an animal to ride—they’re a partner, and friendship is key to creating a meaningful connection.

Our riders never cease to amaze us! They even pointed out that friendship is a compound word. We love learning and growing alongside them!

09/17/2024

Meet Autumn 💛 our only girl in our herd, and she keeps everyone in line! While she might be a picky eater, she never says no to a good tummy scratch. Autumn is a patient teacher, helping her riders learn to be gentle, patient, and aware. She’s our go-to when her herd mates can’t do their lessons, always stepping up.

As we gear up for the Big Give, your support ensures that incredible horses like Autumn can continue to help riders grow, smile, and thrive. Every donation helps us keep Autumn’s spirit shining and supports the life-changing work we do at Upward Transitions. 🐴♥️🥕

Donate today and be part of this amazing journey!

https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/upward-transitions-therapeutic-horsemanship

09/14/2024

We are incredibly blessed to have O’Connor High School in our community. Their amazing staff and practicum students bring so much heart and energy to our work with horses and those in need. These students are learning not just about horses, but about compassion, service, and the impact of nonprofits. We are so grateful to OHS for shaping tomorrow’s leaders. To continue building these incredible partnerships and expanding our impact, early donations for The Big Give are still open! Your support helps us keep making a difference—together.

https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/upward-transitions-therapeutic-horsemanship

09/13/2024

Meet Archie, our big boy. With his soft eyes and calming presence, he’s a favorite in our program, teaching patience and kindness to everyone he meets.

Horses like Archie have an amazing ability to connect with us, offering support and understanding. For veterans with PTSD and individuals with special needs, they become true partners in healing and self-discovery.

Early donations are now open for the Big Give! While the impact of our program is priceless, the costs are high. We need your support to care for our horses, maintain our facilities, and continue offering this life-changing service.

Please donate today and help us make a difference. Every contribution counts!

Donate now: https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/upward-transitions-therapeutic-horsemanship

09/13/2024

When we want our horses to be ready for silly fun, we grab a few things from the barn for play time. Jaxon was a good sport but enjoyed the green grass afterwards the most. 🙂

09/12/2024

Treats in the trailer after a fun ride. Archie is the best boy ♥️

09/11/2024

Early giving for The Big Give starts TODAY and runs through Sept. 17! Join us and our horses in serving our veterans and individuals with special needs!

At Upward Transitions, we see the magic that happens when a horse like Paulie connects with someone like Nathan, a US Army veteran or Jen, a US Navy veteran. The bond between them is more than heartwarming—it’s healing. With your support, we can continue offering these life-changing experiences.

Your generosity ensures our horses remain the healers, heroes, and trusted companions that participants count on. Let’s come together to make a difference!

https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/upward-transitions-therapeutic-horsemanship

09/10/2024

Ground driving is a win-win for horse and rider. One of our veterans practicing with Paulie. By driving a horse from the behind, the horse handler is able to get a more extended and fluid walk. Pushing the horse engages the horse’s hind legs, which lifts and strengthens the back and activates muscles in the haunches. This is beneficial for the horse and rider: The natural gait and movement of the horse work as a therapy tool to improve the rider’s strength, balance, and sensory integration; encouraging the horse to engage its core and haunches results in a stronger, more fit equine partner. (From Shea Center blog)

09/08/2024

We have the best view ♥️ feeling grateful for the recent rain!

09/03/2024

Fun in the mud!! We are thankful for the wonderful rain yesterday and today!!

08/29/2024

We had such a great time this summer launching our PenPal program! What began as a simple idea turned into a rewarding experience, and we’re excited to build on what we've learned. A heartfelt thank you to Horse Powered Reading and Not Just A Pony Ride for your incredible programs and for always inspiring us to discover new and creative ways for our participants to learn with horses!

04/22/2024

This little super star has been riding with Upward Transitions for a good while and she graduated to independent riding!! We are so happy and proud of her!! Kudos to Autumn for being a good teacher!

04/04/2024

One of our volunteers took this beautiful picture of the rainbow last week!! 😍

04/03/2024

Practicing leading ♥️
Groundwork helps build communication, confidence and connection (that camera peak 😍)

03/25/2024

We want to give a HUGE shoutout to Sarabeth for her work on creating a newsletter for UTTH. We think she did an amazing job!! She might say it was a labor of love and thank goodness she made it to the end product but we hope she is proud of the work she accomplished. ♥️

03/21/2024

She shared her heart with Paulie.♥️

12/19/2023

As you’re thinking about giving this holiday season, consider sponsoring a horse at Upward Transitions Therapeutic Horsemanship. Our horses are the heart of our program and help turn disabilities into POSSIBILITIES!! Stories like this one told by the mom of one of our riders happens because our community comes together to make a difference.

To learn more about how you can help visit https://www.upward-transitions.org/sponsor-a-horse.

Watch videos made with Clipchamp, the best video maker for everyone.

12/12/2023

There is still time to make a donation to our Sponsor a Horse fundraiser! Our horses are the heart of our program and capture the heart of our riders and their families. Many know the expense and work in caring for horses and we do it joyfully because of smiles like these!!

Help us continue providing for our horses and riders for 2024. Thank you to all who have already donated!!

https://upward-transitions.org/donations/givewp-donation-form/

12/10/2023

The weather was beautiful, the smiles were priceless, and the food was delicious!! We celebrated our riders, horses, and families at our UTTH holiday party. The minis made a guest appearance, horse shoes were decorated, and the arena was filled with games and imaginations. It was the best day!!