SPECIAL UPDATE: The Board of Directors of Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding has generously pledged to match donations up to $4,500! Give NOW to increase your impact! We sincerely appreciate your support!

Our Mission and Vision: The Mission of Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding (SDTR) is to improve the physical and emotional well-being of children and adults living with disabilities through equine assisted services in a supportive environment for riders and families. Our Vision is to bring the advantages of therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted activities to all members of the community who can benefit. 
  

Who We Are: SDTR is a has been providing equine assisted services for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and head trauma for nearly 35 years. Our goal-directed activities offer important physical, emotional, sensory, relationship, and cognitive benefits. SDTR partners with Sussex Consortium in the Cape Henlopen School District and the Howard T. Ennis School in the Indian River School District. Students from both schools come to the center regularly for riding and other equine assisted services, and for occupational training. We also partner with the Children’s Beach House and Operation SEAs the day, a wounded soldiers program.
 

Our Program: Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) allow children and adults with physical, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional challenges to find joy, strength, healing, and independence through the power and connection with the horse. Lesson activities are chosen by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRIs) and are developed to address each participant’s goals and abilities with respect to balance, muscle tone, flexibility, motor control, and comprehension. There is also a ground program for those individuals who are physically unable to ride.
 

How Our Program Helps: By learning to guide the horses with movements and oral instructions, participants gain confidence, improve communication skills, become less anxious and find an opportunity for social interaction. Additionally, families who participate in our programs appreciate meeting  others at the riding center with whom to socialize, share resources and gain support from each other.

 How You Can Help: Your support has a direct and meaningful impact for the SDTR community! All donations from Do More 24 Delaware will be used to keep our horse herd healthy and strong, and to expand our program and services that we are able to offer to the community. There are many children and adults already on our waiting list, and our vision is to bring equine therapy to many more participants dealing with a broad range of physical and developmental challenges. The equine members of our team are also hugely important to us! You can help support the feeding, healthcare, and wellbeing of our 4-legged therapists by donating today! To learn more about our horses and our program, please visit our website at https://www.sdtrhr.com/.

Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding (SDTR) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization located in Eastern Sussex County. We are affiliated with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). Our PATH certified therapeutic riding instructors and trained volunteers have provided planned sessions in equine assisted therapy to children and adults with disabilities since 1988.