STRIDES Magazine to Feature CTRC

Once just wasn't enough.

From 2007-2009 Children's Hospital-Denver, the University of Colorado-Denver and the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC) teamed up in a ground breaking pilot study on the effects of therapeutic horseback riding (1 hour a week for 10 weeks) had on children ages 6-16 years. Categories measured after each session included the following:  self-regulation behaviors, adaptive daily living skills, motor coordination, organization skills, and planning skills. The results were glowing.  The pilot study showed significant improvements in levels of irritability, lethargy, stereotypic behavior and hyperactivity as well as improvements in expressive language, motor coordination and motor planning. Read about the study here, in a poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research!  

Backed by the positive results of the initial pilot project, CTRC, University of Colorado-Denver and the Children's Hospital-Denver collaboratively pursued and were successfully granted funding through the National Institutes of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NINR/NIH) to continue to study for four years the effects of therapeutic horseback riding on school age children with autism spectrum disorders with the addition of an active control group on site at CTRC. In addition, the study will track the long-term effects of therapeutic riding. We started our first groups in March of 2011 and we are off to a fantastic start!

This research has the potential to benefit the lives of many children and to shape the future programs of the more than 800 therapeutic horseback riding centers across the United States. We know the services we provide have a huge impact and having scientific data  proving that - it doesn't get much better than that.

Check out the article featured in the Spring 2011 issue of NARHA's STRIDES Magazine.

Want to be a part of it all?
There are several ways you can help CTRC continue to function as a research site.

·       Consider volunteering at the CTRC for on-going classes; being a class volunteer for the research study requires training and experience.

·       Donate a horse or make a monetary donation.

·       If you know someone who might want to participate in the study please follow this link to the study recruitment flyer for more information.