Not Just A Pony Ride

Did you know there is a foundation dedicated strictly to research within the Equine Assisted Services community?  Well now you do! Meet the HHRF and learn what they can do for you including grant funding, networking, free education and so much more. Pebbles tells us about what research is trending, what is being funded, the process of applying and reviewing HHRF grant applications as well as...

Q&A:  What are some good activities for an EAL Parkinson’s Disease group? with Kelly Baulisch On this short episode, we answer a question from our audience! We recently had a question that read:  “Looking for ideas for unmounted activities for a Parkinson's group (8-10 participants), several will be in wheelchairs.  We have an accessible grooming ramp but looking for activities...

Episode 33:  Helping Children with Complex Trauma Needs with Rebecca Britt of Stable Moments This episode features Rebecca Britt, creator of Stable Moments, a unique Equine-Assisted Mentorship program for children in foster care and those with complex developmental trauma.  Developmental Trauma is trauma that happens in the first core years of development of a child’s life that can yield...

Have you ever wondered how chiropractic care benefits horses? What all does it entail?  How do they do it? Dr. Cass Thielen is here to answer all your questions!  90% of the brain’s input comes from movement.  When movement is strained in some way it creates pain and tension throughout the body.  Restoring a horse’s natural movement through chiropractic care essentially helps t...

Consistent, reliable volunteers make our jobs as instructors and therapists so much easier.  It takes the stress off of scheduling, constantly asking people if they’re coming and relieves the worry of if we will have enough people to get it all done! So what motivates volunteers to be so consistent? In this episode we hear from 3 volunteers at HETRA about why they continue to make volunteering a p...

Christy Landwehr, CEO of the Certified Horsemanship Association shares everything the CHA can do for you, including the details about their certification for Instructors of Riders with Disabilities. Listen now to hear what makes the CHA different and all the perks they have to offer! Find out more about the CHA at www.cha.horse This episode is sponsored in part by Equi-Force. Find out more at www....

My child can’t focus, my child has no idea how they are feeling, my child doesn’t listen.  Ever heard any of these comments from caregivers?  Kelly Baulisch LMHP, LPC, LADC explains the valuable skill of self-regulation including why it's so important and key ways to start to teach it in sessions. She even shares tons of resources to help you get started. Resources from this episode: Diane Alber,...

The Omaha Equestrian Foundation is a non-profit foundation in the Omaha area that has an HUGE impact.  Julie shares how the OEF does that through their large scale events, educational offerings and partnerships with other non-profits.  She shares advice on how local foundations can help your organization as well as how you could start an OEF of your own! Check out more about the OEF incl...

Alison Curtis has a passion for helping horses feel happy and comfortable in their sport.  How does she help horses feel this way? By helping their riders feel more balanced and fluid in the saddle! Listen now to hear how much the rider’s body influences our horses and how we can help them feel more at ease with concepts learned from yoga. She even shares a short stretching routine we can all...

Frankie is the founder and owner of “Wooden Horse Corporation” who produces the exceptional training tool, “The Equicizer”.  Frankie shares with us his journey to success in developing his company and tips for anyone looking to develop new products for the equestrian world! Frankie was a successful jockey beginning his professional riding career at age 16.  After an accident left him wit...

How do you turn the life-long dream of owning a therapeutic riding center into reality?  Katie Oakland did just that a few years ago when she founded, TR for Heart and Soul in Bismark, ND.  She has grown her mostly volunteer operated facility from 4 participants in 2016 to about 50 participants today and is loving every minute of it.  As a busy mom of 3 young kids, she shares with u...

Therapy positioning can include any position we place our clients in to achieve desired outcomes-- backward, prone, supine, quadruped and more!  Why do therapists use these positions though? How can we use them to work toward our goals, and do it safely? Lisa is here to tell us! Lisa Harris has both a MS in Physical Therapy and Veterinary Science, specializing in equine biomechanics. She is a...

Episode 23: PART TWO: Equine Assisted Learning:  What’s the line between EAL and Therapy? Did you catch PART ONE of this series?  This is part two of an amazing series on Equine Assisted Learning from two experts in our field, Debbie Anderson and Blair McKissock of Strides to Success.  In this episode we hear a quick and effective way to tell if you are crossing the line from EAL in...

Episode 23: PART ONE: Equine Assisted Learning:  a Depth of Knowledge & Purposeful Intention Equine Assisted Learning is a wonderful way to build skills and meet goals for our participants, but there is a lot to it!  Debbie Anderson and Blair McKissock from Strides to Success have been “gathering EAL gold” for the last 25 years and they are hear to share it with us!  Join us to...

Let’s kick off the new year and season two of the podcast on the right foot!  CEO of HETRA, Edye Godden, talks with us about planning for 2022.  She encourages us to not get bogged down by scary words like ‘strategic planning’ and think of it more as a roadmap for success!  She tells us how HETRA continues to meet goals every year including tips for staff assessments, setting person...

A hybrid episode! First we hear from Shelby Schult, HETRA’s Equine Operation Manager on how we keep our senior horses “Happy, Healthy, Sane & Sound”, including HETRA’s effective routine and why you shouldn’t be afraid of maintenance!  Then, we hear from Kevin Roche, owner of GlucoGlide.  He shares the science behind his products and why they work so well for our horses at HETRA. Orde...

Jessica White Plume is heading up a growing movement, horse culture-based wellness and therapy, focusing on the historic connections between horses and Indigenous peoples.  She speaks with us about the healing work she is doing on a local reservation and about how the equine studies program at NHS tribal college is helping young people reconnect with culture and wellness through relationships...

Meet Londyn!  Her mom, Whitney, shares the joys of their 3 year long relationship with HETRA and all of the gains Londyn has made with communication, strength, confidence and more! Support Team Londyn with their Drive to Ride campaign here: https://www.classy.org/team/377005

Meet Alpine! Her mom, Teri shares the incredible progress Alpine has made with HETRA on her rehabilitation journey. Alpine and her horse Leroy have an incredible bond that has helped her get stronger physically, mentally and emotionally.  Listen to her story now! Support Team Alpine with her Drive to Ride campaign here:  https://www.classy.org/team/379231

Calling all therapists! Lisa shares her insights on utilizing hippotherapy in her private physical therapy practice as well as offers some great tips on topics such as reimbursement. We also discuss a great organization, the American Hippotherapy Association and what it has to offer you. Lisa Harris has both a MS in Physical Therapy and Veterinary Science, specializing in equine biomechanics. She...

Meet Emily! Her mom, Erin, shares their family’s story including how much HETRA has helped Emily on her journey to gaining confidence while working on strength, flexibility and cognitive healing.  Support Team Emily with her Drive to Ride campaign here: https://www.classy.org/team/380285

Ed Armstrong is the Coordinator of Adaptive Sports and Recreation at QLI here in Omaha. Today we discuss the importance of recreation and alternative therapies.  HETRA and QLI have partnered several times to help people get back to riding or start to enjoy riding after a life changing injury or accident.  Together Ed and I discuss the emotional journey that rehabilitation can be and the...

Meet Dash! His mom Clare, shares the great progress Dash has made in the arena and how they see that progress help him at home.  Dash guest stars in this episode too, listen to hear his favorite things about HETRA! Support Team Dash with his Drive to Ride campaign here: https://www.classy.org/team/376029 This is a special edition of the Not Just a Pony Ride Podcast: Tales from the Rail. These...

Let’s talk research!  In this episode we are joined by Anastasia Kyvelidou, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Department at Creighton University. Together we talk about the exciting research project happening at HETRA, studying the effectiveness of hippotherapy in children with autism spectrum disorder.  We also discuss the importance of research as a whole for our indu...

This is a special edition of the Not Just a Pony Ride Podcast, a short story series: Tales from the Rail. Meet Nikola!  His mom, Alexie shares his progress and funny things they appreciate about their time at HETRA.  “As he gets older especially it's so important for him to experience therapy in a fun way. He has lots of challenges in life and this is something special for him.” Support...