New Kingdom Trail Riders

"In riding a horse we find freedom."

Why horseback riding?

Horseback riding helps mentally and physically challenged people, achieve a quality of life that is improved, enhanced, and enriched. Based on input from doctors, therapists, teachers and parents, the student's individual goals are designed to complement ongoing therapy and education. The benefits of therapeutic horsemanship are fourfold in addition to being a recreational activity:

Mentally, the stimulation of riding and the bonding of the horse and rider increase the motivation to learn. The horse reinforces directionality and the riders learn sequencing when they learn to groom and saddle their horse. Also, through riding, the rider is benefited by improved concentration.

Physically, the three-dimensional motion of the horse provides the rider hip and back action that simulates natural walking. No matter how difficult it is for a person to exercise otherwise, overall body tone is improved. Riding gives a new freedom to those in wheelchairs. The horse stimulates all the body's functions as well as improves posture, balance, and coordination and strengthens & relaxes muscles and increases joint mobility.

Emotionally, contact with horse and horsemanship training provides a non-competitive setting for learning. New abilities, increased self-discipline, improved concentration all help to build self-confidence and self esteem.

Socially, horseback riding nurtures a positive self image. Riders may, for the first time in their lives, experience some independence and a sense of being part of a team. The rider learns new skills, gains new confidence and begins to participate in a sport. The benefits are incalculable, but obvious to all of us.

When a person with a disability rides a horse, the horse becomes that person's equalizer. He is performing as a normal person. The horse is a live animal that responds and shows emotion. He's mobile, he's large, lifting the person up both psychologically and physically.

It is important to remember that the horse is held and not led. The child is taught to ride, he is not just taken for a ride.

Take a moment and visit http://www.qconline.com/multimedia/display.php?id=350 for brief video overview of what our program is about and what we accomplish. (Compliments of Pat Traylor of QCOnline.com)

Mission Statement

New Kingdom Trailriders (NKT), founded in 1984 by a group of Christian horse owners, is a NARHA accredited, non-profit, tax exempt corporation. This community service of therapeutic horseback riding provides a combination of physical, mental, social, and educational therapy that is often more effective than conventional modes. NKT provides these services for the benefit of people with physical and mental disabilities in the greater IA/IL Quad Cities area and surrounding communities.

New Kingdom trail riders

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"In riding a horse we find freedom."

Why horseback riding?

Mission Statement