Special Alert
Thank You Dr. Kovner!!
For the past four years, Dr. Vic Kovner has served on the REINS Board as a Director. In his short tenure as a Board Member he gave so much of himself and expected so little in return. He believed whole heartily in our Mission and was on a steady course to help fulfill our vision of becoming a leading Therapeutic Riding Program in the United States.
Sadly, Dr. Kovner passed away December 12th after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. However, his accomplishments while serving on our board cannot go without mention. Vic, being an avid horse lover, understood how these wonderful animals served as our tool to help the disabled community. Growing up on a ranch, he also understood how work intensive it is to run a ranch. With that said, he along with his devoted wife Donna, made sure REINS was here to stay. They proceeded to find a donor to pay off our mortgage and also build us a hay barn and repair our bridge, which is the only access to our facility.
For me, Vic’s most defining quality as our Board Member was his ability to put our Mission first. He had that deep and abiding passion for helping people, all people. His approach was pragmatic and filled with love.
So Vic, on behalf of all of us here at REINS, thank you for your knowledge, wisdom and all you have done to improve the lives of people with special needs through therapeutic equestrian activities. REINS is a better place because of your skilled and dedicated service.
You will be sadly missed.
Therapeutic Riding Benefits
Benefits for People with Cerebral Palsy
Students and Parents – Testimonials
Cerebral Palsy is a number of non-progressive motor disorders with impairment of voluntary movement.
With people who have C.P. or disabilities like C.P., therapeutic riding instructors try to develop balance and coordination to help strengthen weak muscles. One example is by using a horse with slow, steady movements. The warmth of the horse's body helps to relax the rider's body. Using different positions such as putting the student on backwards, side-saddle, and "sleeping Indian" style helps to exercise different muscle groups, as well as stimulate the vestibular systems and fine/gross motor skills. To encourage concentration the instructor may play games, or use toys to catch the riders attention. If the rider cannot sit up of stabilize themselves, the instructor will sometimes ride with the student to assist them in sitting up properly. No matter what position the student rides in, they are still feeling stimulation in all of the body's muscle groups, and stimulating the neurons in their brain. Therapeutic riding provides both physical therapy as well as a kind of mental therapy. Most of our students spend a great amount of time in hospitals and clinics doing various types of therapies and surgeries. Therapeutic riding lets our students escape into the wilderness for a short time and feel free and have fun!
Sarah, an eight year old little girl with C.P., has greatly benefited from horseback riding. When she started she could not sit up on her own at all. After riding for almost 4 years, Sarah can now sit up and hold on to the handle by herself. She enjoys laying down on the horses back to rest while looking up at the trees above her. Sarah's favorite thing is riding backwards while weaving the poles and doing circles around the colorful barrels. We are all looking forward to seeing all the great improvements that Sarah can make.
Jessica Swenson is a NARHA Certified Instructor and has been an Instructor at REINS for over 6 years.
Written by Jessica Swenson Last Updated on Thursday, March 04, 2010
