O.A.T.S. Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles

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Ortonville, MI
O.A.T.S. Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles

O.A.T.S. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides equine-assisted activities and therapies.
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Therapeutic riding:
• Improves balance, flexibility, muscle
strength and tone
• Develops communication, listening and
attention skills
• Encourages social interaction
• Builds confidence and self-esteem

The goal for every rider at O.A.T.S. is to ride independently (without assistance from a leader and/or sidewalker), no matter the disability. While not always possible, the important thing is that it’s encouraged.

11/16/2024

Join us on the farm December 8th for some holiday fun the whole family will enjoy. 🎄

Join the holiday shenanigans with our farm pals on December 8th! 🎄

11/11/2024

11/02/2024

Thank you all for such a successful Fall Turkey Raffle. Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to Healthy Futures Organic Feed Supply

10/30/2024

A very happy birthday to an amazing instructor and wonderful friend! Happy birthday Mrs Rita! We hope you enjoyed your birthday ride on Elf!

10/30/2024

Alex beamed with joy as he rode Tootsie under the twilight sky during the 6:30 PM off-lead therapeutic riding class. Our wonderful instructor, Mrs. Rita, conjures the most imaginative games to delight us. While the colorful rings infuse a sense of whimsy and merriment, they serve a deeper purpose—helping our riders enhance their balance and maintain their heels down as they glide through the arena on their favorite steed.

10/29/2024

Happy National Cat Day to the best barn cats we know! Martha (Momma Kitty) and Hazel are the friendliest cats you will ever meet and we are proud to have them as part of our O.A.T.S. Family.

10/28/2024

Only a few days left to enter our Fall Turkey Raffle sponsored by our friends at Healthy Futures Organic Feed Supply. $10 gives you up to 6 chances to win a farm fresh organic turkey. Our fine feathered friends head to Wilcox Poultry Butchery Shop in Brown City for processing on Halloween. Our drawing takes place on Friday, November 1 via a Facebook live event, and winners will pick up their turkey on Saturday, November 2. You can purchase your tickets at the link below.
Thank you and good luck to everyone who helped to make this fundraiser successful!

https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjEyODg2

10/28/2024

Our Stall or Treat event was so much fun! We saw many familiar faces, met new friends, and reconnected with people we haven't seen in a while. We would like to exted a special thank you to Mrs. Goodloe and the amazing students from Brandon Middle School who worked so hard to make this event a success!

10/26/2024

It's finally here! Our Stall or Treat event begins today at 4pm. Don't miss out on this fun event! Stalls are decorated by the students of Brandon Middle School. You can vote for your favorite stall by making a donation in their canister. The stall with the most donations wins! Our costume contest will begin at 5:15pm and the event ends at 6pm. We can't wait to see you on the farm!

10/25/2024

Boney Joanie loves her O.A.T.S. t-shirt designed by our wonderful volunteer J.C.
You can order one today from our good friends at Paramount Signs and Graphix in Ortonville.
J.C. and Paramount will provide O.A.T.S. with a donation for each shirt that is ordered. Just follow the link below and place your order to support our riders and the amazing horses who help them!
https://oatstherapy.itemorder.com/shop

10/25/2024

In 2024, our pal Outlaw hit the jackpot and was symbolically adopted by the fabulous folks at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Waterford! Their kindness helped to keep his basic needs covered all year long. Just last weekend, a lovely couple from the church swung by to shower their hardworking hero with love. Want to join the fun in 2025? Hit us up for adoption details!

10/23/2024

Henry Fjord participated in his first therapeutic riding class this past Monday evening! Lead by Barb W., the amazing volunteer who found, purchased, and donated Henry to our program. Henry carried our wonderful new evening barn assistant, Katie B., who has been preparing Henry for his very important work here at O.A.T.S. Henry hopes to be helping O.A.T.S. riders in our 2025 Winter Session.

Address

4920 Groveland Road
Ortonville, MI
48462

Telephone

(248) 245-1020

Website

http://www.OATShrh.org/

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Videos

Healthy Horses = Happy Riders

Help OATS keep our horses healthy and our riders happy! #equinetherapy #horses #horsetherapy #healthyhorses #equine #equinelife #nonprofit #nonprofitsupport

Summer Camp day 2: Learning all the fundamentals of riding !! Our goal for the end of the week is to ride our new awesome trail !

Derby

As the horses race towards the finish line in our Derby !!! Elf makes a spectular stride and takes FIRST place !! Congrats Elf!!

Motown says we have a open spot for leading @ 5:30 pm !!!! Message us or sign up on wranglr !!!

Hay Everyone !!!! Our Fluffy Cows are always looking for hay !! If you or anyone that you know have old hay !!! Message us !!

Did you know that we also offer EAL ??!! ( Equine Assisted Learning ) Our herd loves to do EAL !!! Reach out to us to learn more about EAL!!

We have a busy Spring Session !!! Come out and join the fun with Lexi !!!

Do you wanna learn how to ride with a group of friends ?!! We provide that !!! Ladies and Gentlemen we have morning and mid-day spots available for Spring !!!

Katy says are you coming , we have lots of volunteer openings for class this evening @5:30pm ! Message us to let us know you are coming out !!!

Miss Bluff is loving the warm weather and her own personal splash zone !!! #springsession is coming !!

To Celebrate her First Birthday, Hattie would like to raise $400 for her favorite place in the world. Let's show her some love on this cold Thursday. She will not have another birthday until 2028.

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Our Story

O.A.T.S provides equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) for individuals. Each of our instructors has undergone the educational and practical requirements set forth by PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) and other accrediting agencies to become certified, and include Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Experiential Learning with Horses (ELH) certifications.

Though our instructors are not certified Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, or Speed Language Pathologists, we are open to working with these professionals in developing activities and plans to ensure we are offering the best value and care for our riders. We welcome their support and input.

Therapeutic horseback riding is recognized throughout the U.S. and other countries as a valuable activity to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Benefits include

· Improves balance, flexibility, muscle strength and tone