Our Mission
At Locust Lane Riding Center, our goal is to help people thrive and not merely survive.
Our mission is to enrich lives through equestrian activities that promote physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
We cultivate resilience and help overcome adverse childhood experiences through connected relationships with horses and mentors. We specialize in equine-assisted therapies and equine-assisted learning for personal development. Our programs educate, equip, and empower people to reach their full potential.
Since 2005
Locust Lane Riding Center began in 2005 with a vision to create opportunities to share the benefits of equestrian activities that promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
As an organization, we are committed to sharing the love of God through His extraordinary creatures, to help cultivate a personal relationship with Him, and to equip people with skills needed to achieve their fullest potential in all areas of life.
Participants of all ages and abilities are encouraged to set personal goals. There are countless rewards that come from interacting with horses. Participants learn responsibility and leadership from riding and taking care of horses. Many of our horses have special stories of past abuse or neglect. Some have been rescued from slaughter. Some have been rehabilitated from serious injury.
By interacting with these horses, participants are able to identify and relate to them in a powerful and healing way.
While some riding programs focus on the competitive aspects of equestrian sport, the focus of Locust Lane is primarily on the recreational and therapeutic value of horsemanship.
Benefits of Therapeutic Horsemanship
Why is therapeutic horsemanship so effective?
Horses are large and strong.
They provide a natural opportunity for people to overcome fear and develop courage, confidence, respect, and assertiveness.
Horses also have independent, ‘quirky’ personalities.
They encourage youth to learn anger management and impulse control, as well as patience, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.
The horse’s need for care.
Their needs provide opportunities for learning about hard work, teamwork, responsibility, and communication.
Perhaps most importantly, horses take no notice of a person’s problems.
A horse is unbiased, not seeing a person's background or perceived shortcomings.
Horses mirror human emotions.
They create opportunities to explore feelings and destructive behavior patterns and to make changes where necessary.
We Serve Everyone
Participants are given opportunities to experience movement in a rhythmic, repetitive, symmetrical sequence that benefits the body physically and mentally.
Students with behavioral problems become aware of how to think and behave more humanely and benevolently toward not just horses, but all animals and people. Participants gain compassion which contributes to creating well-adjusted human beings.
Working with horses opens new doors for at-risk youth to learn healthy behaviors and ways of coping with difficult emotional or domestic situations. Sometimes people find that just being in the presence of horses reduces stress and tension.
