Rising Hope Therapeutic Riding Center

10/10/2025

🌟 Help Us Keep the Herd Happy & Healthy! 🐴💙

Our Amazon Wish List is full of everyday essentials and special tools that make it possible for us to provide safe, enriching, and healing experiences for our riders and horses. From horse care supplies to sensory tools for participants, every single item helps us continue our mission.

No gift is too small—each one makes a real difference in the lives of our horses and the people they serve. 💕

🛒✨ Take a look and see how you can help:
👉 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DBX1SDGAXWCF?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for being part of our community of support—we couldn’t do this without you!

10/10/2025

🌟 A huge THANK YOU to the amazing volunteers from Penn State Federal Credit Union who joined us yesterday for Day of Caring! 🌟

Your hard work, energy, and generosity made such a difference for our center and the community we serve. We are so grateful for your time and effort—it truly takes a team like this to keep our mission moving forward. 💙🐴

We couldn’t do it without you!

08/29/2025

When an emergency strikes, every second matters. Being able to recognize the warning signs and act quickly can make all the difference in your horse’s recovery and well-being. Preparation today can help you respond with confidence when it counts. For more information, visit https://msdmnls.co/3JfXzZx

08/29/2025

People understand why dogs and cats are kept as pets, even when they’re not used for competition or a sport purpose.

But, when you turn this logic around onto horses, there tends to be a lot of discourse and confusion about horses being kept for the sole enjoyment of being around a horse.

Not for competition.

Not for riding.

Just because their human loves them and enjoys the aspects of hanging out with them and caring for them.

“They need to have a job!”

“What’s the point in having a horse you don’t ride?”

“Why don’t you ride your horse?”

The way horses are commodified as being an animal that needs to be ridden in order to have purposed and, in a lot of ways, be valued is problematic.

If we can grasp the concept of people keeping animals simply because they like animals, why is it so difficult for the horse industry to start applying this to our beloved horses?

To be perfectly blunt: our actions do shed light on our priorities.

If a horse no longer holds enough value for their person to keep them when they’re unrideable, then the person is choosing riding over the horse.

This isn’t intended to judge or shame people.

It’s just to give an honest perspective on what our actions say about us.

I used to be the person who was all about riding and who didn’t want to keep horses who could no longer fulfil my competitive goals.

Sure, I loved the horses.

But, at the time, I loved riding more.

Because if I loved the horses more, it would be more unbearable to part with them than it would be not to ride.

Many horse people will jump to critique other pet owners who give up their elderly pets or pets with disabilities.

But there’s a lapse in the same logic when applied to the horse community.

“But horses are expensive!”

Yes, they are. But an unrideable horse is often not any more expensive than a ridden one.

I think this is a conversation our community needs to start having more openly.

Whether we want to admit it or not, the attitude that prioritizes riding and sport does feed the unwanted horse problem by commodifying horses as vehicles first, companions second.

There are not enough homes out there to provide a soft landing for all of the lame, elderly and unrideable horses that are looking for new places to live once they’re no longer able to be ridden.

This is a simple fact.

So, what’s the solution?

How do we start to broach the conversation of how flippantly horses are bought and sold and what our actions say about our priorities when it comes to horses and riding?

This is a sore spot for many. Many get defensive. I know I did in the past when people brought up this topic.

But, now I see it for what it is.

Horses are more than just mounts to be ridden and we need to all start being more conscious of the responsibility we all have to continue caring for them whether they’re ridden or not.

If we can’t do that, then we need to ask ourselves if it’s even fair to purchase a horse in the first place.

Pictured is my mom’s 8 year old OTTB gelding with kissing spine.

He is not ridden anymore because of how bad his spine is but he stays with us because she loves him and would not let him down.

08/29/2025

Good horsemanship isn’t just about how we ride, train, or compete—it begins with how we meet our horse’s most basic needs.

Research and experience tell us that basic welfare rests on three pillars: friends, freedom, and forage.

Friends: Horses are herd animals. Isolation is deeply stressful for them, even if they can “see” others.

Social contact—grooming, playing, resting together—is essential to their mental and emotional health.

Freedom: Horses are built to move. Stabling or restricted turnout limits natural movement, which can lead to stiffness, ulcers, or stress behaviors.

Movement isn’t just exercise; it’s how their bodies and minds function best.

Forage: Horses are trickle feeders. Their digestive systems are designed for near-constant intake of forage.

Long gaps without roughage can cause colic, ulcers, and anxiety.

Any situation that limits these three is a compromise.

Sometimes compromises are unavoidable—but our responsibility is to recognize them, and then actively find ways to make those circumstances tolerable for the horse.

That requires critical thinking: does this decision make sense from my horse’s perspective—physically, mentally, and emotionally?

True horsemanship means committing to ongoing learning.

Evidence and research give us clear guidance on how our management choices affect welfare.

If we don’t educate ourselves and adapt, then we fall short in our duty as horse people.

This calls for a mindset shift.

Convenience or tradition can no longer be excuses to ignore welfare fundamentals.

We must move toward a culture where knowledge, empathy, and responsibility guide how we keep and work with horses.

When horses have friends, freedom, and forage, they are healthier, happier, and easier to live and work with.

Meeting these needs is not optional—it’s the foundation of responsible horse ownership.

Join us at www.equitopiacenter.com where the evidence and research can guide us to better standards and protocols that prioritize horse welfare as part of being a skilled and responsible horse owner, rider or equine professional - www.equitopiacenter.com

08/29/2025

The 2025 PATH Intl. Conference will feature Dr. Temple Grandin as the General Session presenter on Saturday, November 8th at 5 pm. The session is entitled Insights into Animal Behavior and Autism. Whether you're a certified professional, licensed therapist, educator or simply passionate about animal behavior, this session will offer valuable perspectives! Register here: https://loom.ly/CTnZz_w.

08/29/2025

HOW DO EARLY EXPERIENCES SHAPE A HORSE’S FUTURE?

What happens in a horse’s first months of life leaves lasting effects — on physical and mental health, soundness, behaviour, and trainability.

And yet… it’s still common practice for foals to be weaned too early or abruptly, stabled for long hours, isolated, under-socialised and stressed. So how does this affect them long-term?

A new UK study of Thoroughbreds has looked at how early-life management affects later development and performance in racing. Unsurprisingly, the results show that turnout and weaning practices make a real difference:

• Foals with more turnout in the first six months, and those weaned later, were more likely to race by the age of three

• Older weaning age was linked to making more race starts

• Foals raised in larger paddocks during those first months went on to earn more prize money.

The takeaway? The first six months are a critical developmental window. Time at pasture and gradual, later weaning supports healthy musculoskeletal development and mental resilience — laying the foundation for healthier, more capable horses. Breeders (of all horses, not just racehorses) should be encouraged to maximise turnout and avoid weaning until after this vital period.

It’s telling that this work had to be funded by the racing industry. While their focus was on performance and retention, the findings have far wider implications. With luck, the visibility of the racing world might help drive change in how foals are raised across disciplines.

08/23/2025

Equine-Assisted Services (EAS), which incorporate horses in a variety of ways in an effort to improve human wellbeing, have grown in popularity in recent years. Although much research has been conducted regarding the benefits that horses may provide for human health and wellbeing, little attention h...

08/22/2025

Horses can play a significant role in a veteran's healing journey.
Equine therapy can help warriors find a deeper connection to nature, animals, and inner peace. Warrior Scott Michael shared his experience with equine therapy at a recent connection event in Texas.

08/22/2025

Dr Temple Grandin is one of the best known animal scientists in the world. She grew up in America, and she is autistic, which means her brain works a little differently to most people’s. She often says she “thinks in pictures.” This helps her notice tiny details about animals that others might miss.

Most of her career has been spent improving how cattle are handled on farms, making systems calmer and safer. (Which is why many farms have safe handing pens for cattle on farms today)But her ideas are just as useful when we think about horses.

Temple reminds us that animals don’t see the world the same way humans do. A shiny puddle, a flapping jacket, or a garden chair in the wrong place might look like danger to a horse. Horses are prey animals, always on the lookout for threats. What seems silly to us can feel very real to them.

As she explains: “Horses have to see the same object from all angles. They don’t automatically transfer learning from one side of their brain to the other.” In other words, a horse that walks calmly past a wheelbarrow on the left rein may still shy at it on the right.

For coaches and riders, this matters. If a horse spooks or refuses, it isn’t “naughty”, it is reacting in the only way it knows. Our job is to slow down, let the horse look, and give it time to learn.

Temple also talks about how animals respond to pressure. A gentle aid, released at the right moment, helps the horse to understand. But rough hands, loud voices, or constant pushing only build fear. As coaches, that means showing riders how to be clear but kind, guiding, not forcing.

And this links horse welfare with rider welfare. A calm horse gives the rider confidence. A frightened horse makes the rider nervous. By putting the horse’s feelings first, we create safer, happier lessons for both.

Temple Grandin may have made her name with cattle, but her lessons about patience, clear signals for animals are pure gold for anyone who works with horses. When we see the world through the horse’s eyes, we become better kinder horsemen.

08/01/2025

The wonderful Jana Marie Foundation is offering a free Youth Mental Health First Aid class on Tuesday, Aug. 5! Reach out to them if interested.

For the low, low price of $0, you can become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) next Tuesday, August 5!

This certification is valued at $110 per person, but thanks to a generous grant, it's available to you at no cost. How neat is that?

Join us at the Jana Marie Foundation office from 9 am-5 pm and learn how to apply the YMHFA Action Plan and be better prepared to advocate for youth dealing with mental health challenges or crises. Nearly 1 in 5 individuals in the US live with a mental illness, so this is a skillset that is useful to everyone (not just mental health professionals).

To register for the workshop, visit the link listed at the bottom of the flyer (or use the QR code). We hope to see you there! If Tuesday doesn't work for your schedule, you can also register to receive notifications about future courses.

07/31/2025

🌟 Support Our Herd — One Wish at a Time! 🐴💫

Looking for a simple, meaningful way to support our riders and horses? Our Amazon Wish List is filled with items that help us provide safe, enriching, and therapeutic experiences for our participants — from daily barn essentials to sensory tools and horse care supplies.

Whether you’re able to give big or small, every gift helps us continue our mission of healing, empowerment, and connection through horses.

🛒💖 Take a look and help make a difference:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DBX1SDGAXWCF?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for being part of our community — we couldn’t do this without you! 💙