Who We Are

The Children's TherAplay Foundation, Inc. (TherAplay) is a unique outpatient rehabilitation clinic for children with special needs. TherAplay's talented team incorporates the movement of horses into pediatric physical and occupational therapy sessions.

Our History

TherAplay was established as a not-for-profit outpatient rehabilitation clinic in 2001. From the beginning, TherAplay has incorporated the innovative idea of using horses as a treatment tool within physical and occupational therapy sessions for children with special needs.

To learn more about the TherAplay Scholarship Program, click here.

Equine-Assisted Therapy

Equine-assisted therapy has been practiced in the U.S. for more than 20 years. Horses create a dynamic, three-dimensional movement that cannot be reproduced in a traditional clinic setting. The gait, or stride, of the horse coupled with the animal's warmth, provide numerous benefits, including:

Improvements in:

• muscle tone and strength
• gross motor skills such as sitting, standing, and walking
• range of motion
• coordination
• endurance

Advances in:

• balance/equilibrium
• head and trunk control
• body awareness
• posture
• mobility

Positive effects on:

• eye-hand coordination
• limbic system function related to arousal, motivation, and attention
• sensory-motor function
• oral motor control, voice quality and vocal/verbal communication

Because our program is so effective, TherAplay has become one of the largest clinics of its kind in the country.

Kids We Serve

When a horse's movement is transferred to a patient through equine-assisted therapy, it produces a combination of sensory, motor, and neurological input that we use to treat a wide variety of diagnoses. These include, but are not limited to autism, cerebral palsy and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), Down syndrome, developmental delay, sensory integrative dysfunction, learning or language dysfunction or disabilities, brain and spinal cord injuries, genetic disorders, and attention deficit. 

For more information about who we serve, click here.

One-On-One Sessions

Each child's session is designed to achieve individual therapeutic goals, which are determined by the TherAplay treatment team in conjunction with the patient and their family. Sessions are one-on-one and utilize the treatment tools in our child-friendly clinic as well as the horse as a tool.

Safe & Effective Therapy

TherAplay's horses are carefully chosen for their temperament and the type of movement they produce. All are specifically trained for their unique role within therapy sessions and are guided by professional horse handlers, which optimize safety and effectiveness.