By By MELISSA GODSEY / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN – The Therapeutic Equestrian Center held its grand opening on Saturday with a ribbon cutting, tours and demonstrations.
The TEC is a facility that offers lessons to anyone with special needs, both adults and children, according to Jeanette Holton, the center's executive director. She said the facility is important because it can be open year round due to the indoor arena.
"The gains that they make … are gains in their ability to control their body physically or it's their condition working on cognitive skills or maybe some issue that's more emotional," Holton said. "If we just did that for a couple of weeks, then okay now we are done until next year, they would lose every gain they had made by the time they came back next year."
The TEC is affiliated with the "We Can Ride" program that was started by the 4-H Club 27 years ago, Holton said. TEC is now hosting "We Can Ride" at its facilities. TEC is also a center member of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Holton said.
The facility is a key to the center, Holton said. An anonymous donor is leasing the facility at no charge, and the center also has a couple donor-advised funds and an outpouring of support from the community, she added.
"It takes over $100,000 to operate this place for a year, so obviously it needs the support of the community," Holton said.
Autumn Zick, president of the TEC board, said the horses help the individuals improve physically, emotionally and cognitively.
"They are learning to ride a horse to become more self reliant, to improve skills to the best of their abilities and that is what we are all about here," Zick said.
The center has a lot of benefits, she said. It has ramps for those in wheelchairs and mounts for those with difficulty moving. The horses come in all shapes and sizes because the riders are small and large and some need a slim horse for stiff muscles where others need a broad sturdy horse for balance, Zick said.
Barb Lenhardt's son, James, has been involved with the "We Can Ride" program for over 10 years and he is now taking part in the TEC. She said the program has expanded his social life.
"The center is a positive thing for the community," Lendhardt said. "It is not only offered to youth but to the adult population as well."
"While you have a child in the school system or school age there are a multitude of programs designed, but once they graduate it's like, 'oh you are all grown up and off you go but yet they are really not all grown up,'" Lendhardt said.
Those interested in lessons or volunteering can find the TEC at 11930 N. Red Bud Trail in Buchanan, or the center can be reached by phone at (269) 471-0700.