With warmer weather, it is a great time of year to pursue healthy, outdoor activities for the whole family. Fresh air and lots of movement can help improve sleep habits, encourage better moods, and enhance our mental well-being. Add some farm animals and horseback riding to that outdoor time, and it sounds like our ideal afternoon!
Easterseals Massachusetts’s Equestrian Center in Bridgewater is now accepting new equestrians ages 2 and up for our nine-week Spring 2 riding package, beginning Saturday, April 26. Admission into programming is accepted as space allows and will be prorated for the remaining lessons. Our eight well-trained horses partner with licensed, certified instructors to offer dynamic and enriching lessons that build stamina, confidence, and independence. Lessons are offered daily except Tuesdays, on a sprawling 22-acre campus, equipped with a pond, playing fields, playground, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, and a track.
In addition to traditional English riding lessons focused on building an independent, balanced seat, ESMA’s Equestrian Center offers adaptive therapeutic lessons for children and adults with disabilities. All lessons foster each participant's cognitive, emotional, physical, and social development. The facility provides ample accommodations and differentiated instruction in a warm and welcoming environment. To learn more about enrollment, please visit our website.
If your little one would enjoy a fun-filled morning of grooming, pony rides, animal-themed games, stories, and crafts, check out our new Pony Pal Playgroups for children aged 2-4 and 5-8.
We also offer seasonal programs and special events year-round. Learn about our upcoming events by joining our Facebook group, where you will also see fun photos, videos, and stories about our animals and clients. We hope to see you soon!
Contact equestriancenter@easersealsma.org if you have any questions.
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Enjoy the poem below about a new ESMA Equestrian Center rider who conquered his fears and found his voice aboard his horse, Whitney Coco.
| A Boy and His (First) Horse Ride Do you see the boy on a horse in the background? Holding his toy in the air? We see the 200 minutes it took to earn his trust. We soften our gaze and our gestures. We scaffold our guidance to help him groom. We support each try, each slight step closer. He strokes his horse's muzzle, softly. We smile and sing as we saddle. We sense his tight grip as we ascend the ramp to mount. We help him approach his horse's back; he retracts. We hear, and we honor, his requests not to be hurried. We pivot. We plant opportunities for him to choose how he succeeds. We enter the arena on foot. We engage him next to his horse with songs and silliness. We empower him to "ROAR!" like the dinosaur on the wall. We encourage the dino to go for a ride. We eagerly stomp our dino feet in sync with our steed. We weave and we whoa, roaring and laughing while our dino rides high. We wonder: Does Dino need stirrups? We walk alongside, and he swings Dino's stirrups to the beat of his horse. We watch while we walk: a more confident stride. We ask: Can Dino dismount and mount again? Off-On! Off-On! He answers: Me? On? We bring him a block. We build a strong platform behind to help him if he balks. He bounds onto his horse. He beams with pride. He raises his toy. He ROARS! He soars! He sees himself on his horse. He smiles, then asks, “More?” |
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Easterseals Massachusetts at The Bridge Center
470 Pine Street Bridgewater, MA 02324
617-737-6658
Email: equestriancenter@easersealsma.org
