OklahomaHorses Magazine July 2021

July/August 2021 • OklahomaHorses 21 By Julie Wenger Watson Photos courtesy of The Right Path T he Right Path Riding Academy, a nonprofit therapeutic horse- manship program in Drumright, is celebrating 25 years of providing programming to people with special needs. Founded in 1996 by Leslie Kirkland, the organization which began with a single horse and a small pen has grown to include five distinct programs, indoor and outdoor riding areas, 16 horses and numerous volunteers—serving thousands of adults and children each year. As a physical therapist living with multiple sclerosis, Kirkland was inspired to create The Right Path when she learned about the value of therapeutic riding for individuals diagnosed with the disease. She began working with MS patients, expanding the organization over time to serve a wide range of people, including children and adults with disabilities, at-risk youth, veterans and first responders learning to cope with life after trauma resulting from their service. According to research, therapeutic riding has both physical and mental benefits, such as improving balance and strength, growing confidence and self-esteem, increasing social awareness and enhancing communication skills. “We use equine therapeutic activity to help people reach their highest potential,” Julie Jones, The Right Path public relations director, explains. PROGRAMS The organization tailors its programs, which are provided free of charge to the different needs of the individuals they serve. William’s Walk is one of The Right Path’s first programs. Weekly horseback riding and cart-driving lessons help young riders (ages 4-18) and drivers of all ages with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities strengthen muscles, increase focus and build relationships with the horses and the team assisting them. Trailblazers was created to help at-risk students (ages 11-16). Two-hour weekly lessons during the spring and fall school semesters teach life skills and horsemanship skills while focusing on positive social behavior, constructive physical activities, teamwork, trust and responsibility. Horses visit the students at low-income (Title 1) schools with the Horse Tales Literacy Project, bringing hardcover books for each of the kids and posing for photos with them. The students read the books and follow a corresponding curriculum with their teachers before re- ceiving a second book at a field day in April at The Right Path facility. Hooves on the Ground provides a restorative riding experience to physically disabled and emotionally traumatized veterans and first responders. Participants learn basic horsemanship skills, and their ex- periences with the horses help reduce anxiety and build new relation- ships. Kirkland feels the horses are particularly well suited for working with this population. “We’re not mental health therapists by any stretch of the imagi- nation, so we stay out of that lane, but we have veterans that come to us with PTSD, and we create a curriculum of horsemanship skills for them, both on the ground and on the horse,” she says. “Then we heal, hearts that care