SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARSHIP FUND
NTRC harnesses the therapeutic power of horses to help people of all ages with a broad range and varying degrees of physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges safely experience a freedom of motion and ability they simply do not or cannot feel in other aspects of their lives. We typically provide 12,000+ hours of life-changing services annually to 800+ children, youth, and adults (ages 4-82) with special needs through our core Therapeutic Riding (TR) and Equine-Assisted Group programming.
SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THERAPEUTIC RIDERS
There is no “typical” NTRC therapeutic rider (TR), as programs are customized to benefit people representing all ages with a broad range and varying degrees of physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Therapies are individually designed and monitored to help participants consistently achieve measurable improvement in their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Diagnosis for our TR participants includes autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, stroke, amputation, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, and other rare neurological diseases.
Special needs often place severe financial, physical, and emotional demands on the families we serve. Too often, they have exhausted available medical insurance benefits but still require effective therapeutic options. Although NTRC has maintained our affordable $10 weekly lesson fee since we were founded in 1997, last year alone 42% of our rider families reported a household income less than the Federal Poverty Level thresholds and still needed full scholarships to cover the entire 45-week program season. Currently, NTRC’s actual cost per session is $91, including the instructor, barn, and arena personnel costs plus the care and maintenance costs for our 16-horse highly trained therapy herd.
SUPPORT OUR EQUINE-ASSISTED GROUP PROGRAMS
Our mounted and unmounted Group Programs, implemented in collaboration with multiple Collier County social service and health agencies, serve at-risk youth and adults who are homeless, have been abused or neglected or have witnessed violence; experienced the loss of a loved one, or those living with or impacted by addiction and/or mental illness. Our roster of long-standing community partners includes ABLE Academy, STARability Foundation, PACE Center for Girls, David Lawrence Center (Crossroads and Children's Partial Hospitalization Program - PHP, New Beginnings, Youth Haven, Valerie's House, Avow, The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and The Naples Players. Typically conducted as six eight-week sessions, the average cost for these customized sessions overall average $330 per participant. We make every attempt to offer these services free of charge to our at-risk youth participants – but rely on donor support to make this possible.
