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Children with disabilities ‘Ride With Pride’ at Chartiers Township horse farm

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Photo courtesy of Easterseals

“Ride With Pride” participant and Easterseals client Aubree Reed, 5, of Weirton, W.Va., smiles after completing the exercise of throwing a foam ball into a bucket while on a horse at Coventry Equestrian Center in Chartiers Township on June 22.

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Photo courtesy of Easterseals

Kelli Shallcross of Bellaire, Ohio, gives her daughter Bella, 3, some final moments with the horses after her “Ride With Pride” graduation ceremony on June 22 at Coventry Equestrian Center in Chartiers Township as volunteer Samantha Fleming of Wheeling, W.Va., looks on.

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Photo courtesy of Easterseals

Participant Bella Shallcross, 3, of Bellaire, Ohio, celebrates making her foam ball into the bucket for one of the various games played during the Easterseals “Ride With Pride” program at Coventry Equestrian Center in Chartiers Township.

Four children with varying abilities graduated from the semi-annual Easterseals “Ride With Pride” program last month at the Coventry Equestrian Center in Washington County.

The “Ride With Pride” is a free, seven-week-long, equine-assisted program organized by Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Wheeling, W.Va., that offers hands-on, unique and engaging ways to improve strength, posture, coordination, confidence, leadership and communication in children with physical and developmental disabilities.

Each child was awarded a medal, a certificate of completion and a gift bag as part of the June 22 graduation ceremony at the horse farm in Chartiers Township.

Dr. Ellen Kitts, Easterseals medical director, said improvements were seen in each child throughout the course of the program that led to “carry-over at home in addition to all the changes you have seen here, so this really does make a difference for everybody.”

Parents also noted their children not only improved on the horses, but they also gained skills in their home life.

Maggie Zaliponi of Cranberry Township recognized her son Tristan’s “strength and mobility are better in terms of balance.” Zaliponi said the first time Tristan, 11, rode a horse, it took him 40 minutes to get on and he struggled with the exercises. Now, she said, he gets on in a couple of seconds and is capable of all the exercises.

During the course of “Ride With Pride,” Lori Ulman, a certified therapeutic riding instructor, taught the children riding posture, technique and commands. She then led them through exercises and activities to put those skills into practice. The activities ranged from galloping over logs, tossing a ball into a bucket, “parking” the horse and standing while riding.

Volunteers helped to lead the horses and stood alongside the participants throughout the program.

Volunteer Michelle Lippincott of Colerain, Ohio, said she chose to help because “she loves helping the kids, seeing them smile and watching them improve.” Lippincott also said “horses are a big part of my heart, and sharing a piece of my heart with the kids brings me joy.”

Parents of participating children noted their children would not have an opportunity like this without Easterseals, and praised the program as a great introduction to horseback riding in a safe, inclusive and growing environment.

“Ride With Pride” will take place again at Coventry in the fall. Easterseals also operates a second program for Parkersburg-area clients each summer. For more information or to volunteer, call Kitts at 304-242-3900.

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