Founded in 2008, the nonprofit started by Nancy Harrison and her husband Bob has grown from helping three riders to now supporting two hundred riders through riding horses. The Colorado Springs Therapeutic Center offers two types of riding: hippotherapy and therapeutic, both of which offer physical and mental benefit to the rider. In therapeutic riding instructors teach the rider basic skills with the goal of independent riding. Hippotherapy requires referral from a medical doctor and is led by an occupational, speech, or physical therapist. The center is home to twenty two therapy horses. Before joining this program the horses go through a thirty day trial to test and train their personalities and abilities. The people working at the center such as Heather Crook have been a licensed Master of Physical Therapy. Therapeutic riding instructors like Jamie are certified through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH), a nonprofit educational resource for equine-assisted therapy. PATH instructors work with people with cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, and other physical and mental needs. To learn more about Colorado Springs Therapeutic Center read more here https://gazette.com/life/here-horses-heal-the-impact-of-therapeutic-riding-in-colorado-springs/article_75cb2d10-917c-11ef-8915-9fdf3fbebdb4.html