Wow! Where did summer go? Our local school district heads back this week, and boy did this summer fly!
Let’s review some fun summer moments!
Sibling Camp
This year, we did our first ever sibling camp! This was offered for siblings of special needs children who attend our hippotherapy program. These siblings watch their special needs siblings ride week after week, and we decided it was their turn to join in on the fun! Kiddos at this camp got a fun-filled half day of riding horses, crafts, tie-die, games, painting horses, and more! Thank you to all of our sibling campers- we had a blast!
Special Needs Camp
Thanks to the support from the HEAL Foundation, HorsePlay Therapy Center was able to host our 3rd Annual Breeders Cup Summer Camp. This camp was offered free of charge to our 10 special needs participants. Campers were given a one-on-one “camp counselor”, who were Jacksonville University- Palm Coast campus Masters of Speech-Language Pathology students. By helping facilitate the camp, the SLP master’s students were able to experience a unique, hands-on, hippotherapy clinical experience. They were supervised by two licensed Speech Language Pathologists: Miss Katie and our camp coordinator volunteer, Miss Cathy.
While at camp, campers started each morning with helping assist grooming our horses followed by a half hour ride where they engaged in hippotherapy activities, often with their therapist that they see at the center. Following their ride, they began group literacy activities, crafts, snacks, and gross motor activities. Campers all got to tie-dye a special HorsePlay shirt as a souvenir. Our campers even had a special visit from Kona Ice!
The horse switch
King decided that after working with the veterans, Quillow Acres was really the place he wanted to be. Sir, waiting diligently to be called to his new job, was at Quillow Acres, so the two made their switch and it has been nothing but happy since!
Sir and Prince making friends!
King and Mr. James reunited at Quillow Acres!
New Office Addition
We are growing at our children’s facility! Thanks to a very generous donation from Dr and Dr Timberlake at Southeast Veterinary Hospital, we are going to be moving our HQ office into this building and turning our current office space into more treatment rooms!
Summer Volunteers
Summer is fun because we usually experience some extra hands volunteering in the barn! During the summer, we usually have high school students (age 16 and up) and college students come out to the barn to learn about potential careers in PT, OT or speech, as well as careers with special needs children. Students usually have a positive experience, learning lots and having fun in the meantime! Photoed below is a picture of Abbie, an aspiring physical therapist, who joined us to learn all about PT, meanwhile being a helpful volunteer at the barn!
Goodbye, summer! Onto the fall, and more importantly, the FALL FESTIVAL. Tickets are available at: https://horseplay-therapy-center.ticketleap.com/6th-annual-horseplay-therapy-center-fall-festival-sponsored-by-/
