l-{ouston's
Thcrapcrltic
Dquestrian
Cente rs
SIRE,
Houston's Therapeutic
Equestrian Genters
24161 Spring Dr.
Hockley, TX 77447
281-356-7588
fax2B1-356-9462
www.SlRE-HTEC.orq
SrRE's mission is fo improve the
quality of life for people with
disahilities through therapeutic
horseback riding and related
activities.
WHAT IS SIRE?
Amazingly positive results are obtained using
the spirit and movement of the horse. The
teamwork of the horse, rider, volunteers and
instructor creates miracles every day.
Individuals with almost any mental, physical
and/or emotional disabllity can benefit from
equine-assisted
activities. This
includes
therapeutic riding, carriage driving, vaulting and
hippotherapy.
The physical and emotional benefits
of
horseback riding have been known for several
hundred years. The movement of the horse
provides sensory stimulation to the body and
brain of the rider that affects a variety of muscle
groups. The pelvic movement of the horse
reproduces the proper motion of the human
pelvis at the walk. For people who have losl
that natural movement, or have never had the
of this
stimulation,
horseback riding
seryes to
benefit
"inspire"
bodies
achieve
their
to
this
normal motion
and rmprove
coordination.
In
addition, the
warmth of the
horse's body
and its rhythmic
movements helP
stiff or
spastic
muscles to relax, much like rocking soothes a
crying baby"
A teenage girlwith Cerebral Palsy who
uses a wheelchair arrives at SIRE for
her weekly /esson. No one had to
convince her to come to THIS therapy
sessrbn. She anxiously awaits each
Tuesday afternoon at 3:A0 when she
can see her friends Joe and Becky and
give a big hug and a carrot to a really
special friend, Surefire. She is rolled
up the
mounting ramp and, with
asslsfance from Joe, Becky and her
instructor, she ls carefully transferred
into Surefire's saddle. Upon hearing
her exuberant "Walk On!", Surefire is
led into the arena. Her tight muscles
immediately begin to relax as Surefire
steadily and rhythmically carries her
around the arena. She r's now able to
hotd the reins and her leg muscles
have relaxed enough for her feet to
reach the stirrups. She learns to make
Surefire respond to her cues as she
rides through a series of obsfacles.
She fells us how riding gives her a
wonderful sense of freedom and how
much she /oves being tatter than
everyone e/se for a change. Her
instructor knows that she
ls
strengthening her body, improving her
muscle tone and balance and having a
great time doing itl
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SIRE is a 501(c)(3)
organization
and is a
non-profit
Premier
Benefits of Equine'
Assisted Activities
Accredited Facility with NARHA, North
American Riding for
Handicapped
the
Association
(www-narha.orq). SIRE gratefully
accepts donations of money, horses,
horse tack, and farm and
office
supplies. Volunteers are the life-blood
of the organization and are needed at
all siies, working with clients in their
classes and helping with fundraising,
. lmproving gross and fine
motor skills
. Experiencing
the threedimensional movement
of the horse's gait that
cannot be duPlicated in a
clinical setting
oublicitv and in the office.
. lmproving balance
and
posture
. Stimulating the
cardiovascular system
. Normalizing muscle
tone
. Building self-esteem and
self-confidence
. lmproving social
interaction skills
SIRE SITES
. Increasing
the ability to
follow directions
Hocklev {headquarters), 24161 Spring Dr.,
Hockley,
IX
77447 281-356-7588
Sprinq,4610 Sloangate, Spring, TX 77373
. lmproving memory
utilization
281 -353-61 60
Ft Bend af Sienna
SfabIeS, 8255 Camp
Sienna Trail, Missouri City, TX 77459
281-778-02A2
For more information about SIRE, visit
www.SlRE-HTEC-orq.
.
Developing sequencing
abilities