Saddles & Salutes Program

Saddles and Salutes is a program at Shining Hope Farms that serves Veterans as a part of their community support system for Veteran wellness. Veterans are taught riding and horsemanship skills in a safe, standards based (structured), learning environment with individual objectives and goals. In this environment, we hope to help the Veteran thrive in the process of re-integrating from a military community to a civilian community.

The horse provides a non-threatening, trusting open relationship as the horse is non-judgmental and does not have expectations of the Veteran when connecting with them. The horse also provides an increase of physical and cognitive abilities which leads to a strengthening of independence to progress in daily life skills. Horses have been found to reduce anxiety and stress and create a sense of peace and contentment. The riding lesson gives the Veteran something to look forward to, provides pleasant experiences, forms new, positive memories as they bond with the horse and an opportunity for camaraderie with other Veterans in their group lessons.

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Benefits of Therapeutic Horseback Riding

Physical

Increase abilities of gross motor skills, core muscles, general muscle strength and balance

Cognitive

Increase abilities of fine motor skills, attention span and focus, memory, hand eye coordination, sensory and mental processing, motor planning, problem solving, confidence and decrease of anxiety and stress

Socialization

Bonding with horse, other Veterans, instructor, staff and volunteers

and more

Having fun learning new things, seeing themselves progress and accomplish riding skills and horsemanship activities and enjoyment of trail rides.

All of these factors help to develop daily life skills and independence.

Locations

This program is offered at each farm.

Gaston
328 Whippoorwill Lane, Mt. Holly, NC 28120

Charlotte
3701 Kidd Lane, Charlotte, NC 28216

Conover
6347 St. Peter’s Church, Rd., Conover, NC 28613

Visit our Locations page for more information about each farm. 

Cost

Financial assistance is available.

If interested, please contact us at:
Phone: 704.827.3788
Email: Send us an Email Here