Hope On The Hill Therapeutic Horse Riding Center

08/09/2022

Our riding sessions will start back up on August 15th, 2022 and go through the end of September, maybe longer if weather permits. You can text, call or Facebook message me. 719-342-9506.

09/18/2021

Dalilah riding Bullseye in the Hi-Plains Homecoming parade. This sweet girl is very special to me, she was my very first therapeutic rider❤️

09/13/2021

This is so awesome! One day I would love to have this kind of facility for Hope on the Hill ❤️

09/12/2021

Horse riding and decorating the mini horses birthday party for a very special girl!! Happy Birthday Brooklyn ! Thank you Jaidin Miller, Kandy Schott and Baylee Ridnour for your help!!

07/17/2021

Bullseye had a new rider today, she did so good riding for the first time! Thank you Vicky Kosch for bringing Hazel to ride. ❤️

06/08/2021

Spent the morning with this young man,I hold him and his family near and dear to my heart. So awesome having him be a part of Hope on the Hill!❤️ Teresa Fikes

06/05/2021

Meet Hope and Sassy, they are going be such great therapists!!!❤️ 🥰

06/02/2021

Our very first riding session was success!! It’s an amazing feeling to see my dream come alive!!! Thank you to all the wonderful people in my life that have helped me make all this happen!!

05/31/2021

05/21/2021

Ramp/mounting platform assembled and arena all put together. Ready for some horse therapy. Thanks for your help Jaidin Miller,Greg, Vince and Merrit!!

04/13/2021

https://youtu.be/nHxOTRfJLWg

We put this video together to show you the many ways horses benefit our students.Find out more about Crossing Bridges Therapeutic Riding Center here:http://w...

04/08/2021

Hope on the Hill (HOTH) will officially be offering therapeutic riding sessions beginning on May 29th, 2021 through September 30th, 2021. If you are interested or want to enroll someone, you can call, text, or email me. 719-342-9506
[email protected]


What is Therapeutic Riding?

Certified instructors and trained volunteers assist children and adults with physical, mental, and emotional challenges to find strength and independence through the power of the horse

*Benefits of Equine Activities:

In therapeutic riding, the horse is used as a tool to improve the mental and physical well being of the disabled person. Therapeutic riding is recognized by the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. The benefits are available to individuals with just about any disability, including but not limited to:
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Visual/Hearing Impairments
• Angelman Syndrome
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Emotional Disability
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Stroke
• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Autism
• Spina Bifida
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Amputations
• Learning Disabilities

*Physical Benefits: Horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves the body (pelvis and truck more specifically) and internal organs in a manner similar to that of the human walking gait. Students develop and strengthen muscles by working specific muscle groups that are not worked in everyday life. For example, horseback riding also helps to normalize muscle tone, improve posture and build up the cardiovascular system.

*Psychological Benefits: Exercise in the fresh air, away from hospitals, doctor’s offices, therapy rooms or home help is a refreshing change for the riders. Confidence is gained by mastering a skill normally performed by able-bodied riders. The ability to control an animal much larger and stronger than oneself is a great confidence builder.
Riding increases interest in what is happening around the rider, as the rider explores the world from the back of a horse. The excitement of riding and experiences involved stimulate riders and encourage the riders to speak and communicate about it.
The riders start to learn that an “out of control” rider means an “out of control” horse. Shouting, crying, and emotional outbursts upset the horse which in turn frightens the horse. Riders are highly motivated, therefore, to learn how to control their emotions and how to appropriately express them.

03/12/2021

When William Wenning was a baby, medical experts told his parents he would never be able to walk or talk. Fifteen years later, William is capable of both and more, thanks to his own hard work, the sup ...

03/12/2021

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. ~Helen Keller

03/12/2021

Thinking I should add some mini donkeys to my program😁

Miniature Donkeys are Unlikely Allies for those with Prader-Willi Syndrome Dogs and horses may be the stars of most animal therapy programs, but at the Latham

03/08/2021

❤️

"I am sitting here looking at my now 17-year-old son as I am writing this and it brings tears to my eyes. We first met JT, an AQHA registered Quarter Horse more than 10 years ago when my son was only 7, on the autism spectrum, nonverbal, and needing occupational, physical, and speech therapy. JT was a cutting horse who earned over $80,000 in his career before retiring into the most important job of his life: therapeutic riding.

The very first day we met JT, he was so gentle and calming that my son was in the saddle within minutes, never afraid at all. By the end of the second visit, my son had a big smile on his face and didn't want to get off JT. He looked forward to our weekly visits, learned to brush and care for JT, learned to say 'Whoa,' make a kissing sound, was able to use his motor planning to be able to 'give a kiss and a kick,' and used rainbow reins to give commands to JT.

His relationship with JT grew over the years and they could communicate just with my son laying the reins on the side of his neck for the direction my son was leading him. Today, my son speaks, reads beautifully, is physically strong, and is happy and content—all miracles that can be attributed to JT being in our lives and prayer.

I would like to say that JT was a one-kid therapy horse, but he worked tirelessly with many many other children with similar stories. JT lived at a neighborhood stable until his owner, our therapist, was able to open her own therapy barn and moved him, his two special lady friends, and a few other horses out to the country. He continued to be the prince of the barn, the ultimate favorite and a gentle giant to everyone. He not only had a special bond with my son and other kids, but his relationship with his owner was also incredible. His owner could stand at the edge of the arena and call for him and he would come running to her with his beautiful flaxen mane flowing in the wind, even knowing he was coming in to work.

We had to say our goodbyes to our dear friend on December 23, 2018. We had the opportunity to help care for him as our therapist was out of town the week before. He seemed a little down, but we thought he was just missing his owner. We visited daily and whispered in his ear, 'Your mama will be home on Saturday.' She came home Saturday afternoon, spent time with him that evening and the next morning found that he had passed away in his sleep during the night. Being 30 years old, we knew this time would come eventually, but we were never prepared for this event. It was like he knew he needed to say goodbye to his owner and let her have a chance to see him before he left us. Ever considerate, thinking of others until the very end. That was our boy, our special friend, our prince, our JT.

He was the ideal horse to be a therapy horse, even after such a successful, high-paced lifestyle. He took his job so seriously, no matter what the level of ability of the child on his back. His heart was as big as he was. Not only did our family have a special relationship with JT, but through him we have a beautiful relationship with his owner that I see continuing for a long, long time. JT will live on in all of our hearts and minds forever." —Allison B.

JT, from all of us at Hope in the Saddle, Nutrena Feed, and Tractor Supply Co., thank you for all you do!

03/08/2021

Such a great example of how incredibly therapeutic horses can be!

In the middle of downtown Denver—surrounded by concrete, railroad tracks, and freeway overpasses—there’s an incredible oasis where horses are helping those who need it most. Through Colorado State University's Temple Grandin Equine Center, the Equine Partnership Program works with populations that would never otherwise be able to experience the power of equine-assisted therapy.

🎥Watch the video at bit.ly/TGECHealingThroughHorses

03/08/2021

My sweet boys❤️ Chief and Bullseye. Most important part of Hope on the Hill.

03/05/2021

My love for horses started at a young age. Growing up in a small town with dirt roads and no traffic allowed me to be able to ride around town. I remember giving my friends and other kids rides on my horse. I enjoyed sharing the happiness that my horse gave me with others. My love for horses and riding continued throughout my life. As an adult, life led me to a career in working and caring for individuals with special needs such as physical disabilities to cognitive and emotional needs. I always felt that I could do more for them, something to enhance their lives. I shared my thoughts and passion about this and was given a book that opened my mind to how incredibly therapeutic horses can be. I knew how my horses had always been my go to when I was sad or going through hard times. I started researching Therapeutic Horse Riding and I immediately knew what I was meant to do with my life. So I founded Hope on the Hill, to bring together my love and knowledge of horses with my compassion for working with individuals with varying needs such as physical disabilities to cognitive and emotional needs. This program will benefit individuals with disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Angelman Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Down Syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury. Also benefiting youth at risk in the prevention of depression, drug and alcohol abuse and violence. And other individuals with ADD, Depression, Dementia, Behavior Issues, Abuse Behaviors, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Depression, Drug and Alcohol abuse.
Sarah L. Miller
Founder/ Owner
Equine Specialist in Mental Health Learning
Western Riding Instructor