Sheryl Clossen saw a television program years ago about a therapeutic horse-riding program that impressed her so much, she wanted to work in the field.
She volunteered to be program director for the Right Step, a nonprofit group based at Coventry Farms in Littleton that uses horse riding as therapy for those with special needs, including cerebral palsy, autism, traumatic brain injury and Down syndrome.
“Everyone was so happy on the TV program, I thought, ‘That’s gotta be great,’ and it’s so rewarding to see the growth and the change in our clients,” Clossen said.
In a push to expand, the program has grown from 28 to 50 students, she said. The goal is to get to 100 students by the end of the year.
Cliff Earle, an instructor at the Right Step certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, said only one horse in 100 might make a good therapy horse.
They must be trained to not spook easily and to recognize the muscle spasms of someone with cerebral palsy as just that. Not all horses take to the training.
Earle said the program gave one student with cerebral palsy a sense of freedom he had never experienced before.
“When you get to see the difference you made in someone’s life, it makes you warm inside; it makes you think that you’ve done something good in this crazy world,” he said.
Each class is 30 minutes for one person, 45 minutes for two people and an hour for more than two. The cost is $60 per person.