Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center
Enriching lives through equine-assisted therapies.
We're Looking For Volunteers!
Our Annual
Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center needs volunteers every day, but especially for weekend feeding help and on Mondays. If you can dedicate time to help, we can promise you'll get your steps in, boost your endorphins from hanging out with the horses, and gets lots of fresh air! This a great opportunity for college students home for the summer or adults looking to add some volunteer time to their lives.
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To find out more about volunteering click here, register on our platform, or email us today!
How Horses Help Us
Through the eyes of a horse, we are not judged by our different abilities - we are able to be who we are and achieve what we set our minds to. We see firsthand the incredible changes in participants' abilities through our programs, including:
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self-esteem
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communication skills
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self-regulation
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trust
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body balance & coordination
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riding skills
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focus
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social skills
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sensory processing
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mobility
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mental health
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emotional well-being
Our Story
Since 2008, Tri-State Therapeutic Riding Center has been focused on providing opportunities for safe and effective equine-assisted activities to enhance the quality of life for those with developmental, physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges.
We serve over 800 individuals annually and hope to reach even more community members. Our dream is to give our community a safe, fun, family-oriented place where participants can achieve their goals on and off the horse.
Bert + Frosty Take The Show On The Road
Submitted by Janice, mother-in-law of a resident
What a blessing it was for the mini horses to come to the Courtyard Assisted Living! The staff and residents were thrilled to see them. The sight, touch, and sounds all went together to help bring back memories. I also saw wonder and so many smiles on their faces.
Often elderly residents don't have many visitors or interactions. These mini horses had everyone interacting and moving. One of the ladies who was napping at the beginning, woke to see a horse by her. I hadn't seen such a big smile from her before.
It was hard to know what one of the ladies with advanced dementia was thinking, but she was animated and I believe she was remembering the workhorse from her farm growing up.
I can't stress enough how amazing this experience was for all involved. Olivia and Claire were very professional and knew what the horses needed as well as being so kind and understanding with the residents.
Frosty and Bert were handsome in their hats and very patient with all the love they were getting. The staff also enjoyed the mini horses and seeing the residents interact with them. One of them said it was better than Christmas!
I hope to see Bert and Frosty come back again!
It may seem to some just a little thing for them to stop by for an hour, but this was a huge blessing mentally and physically for the residents and so much fun.
What's New At The Barn
New Faces: Holly Woody is our new Therapeutic Riding Instructor! We're so excited to have her join our team and help us reach even more folks in our community through our program.
New Grant: We are so grateful to the Bachman Foundation for awarding TSTRC a grant to support our Participant Scholarships program! This foundation funds area ...
New News: We have TWO fun events coming this fall! First, our inaugural Annual "Boots In The Barn" Fundraiser to improve our programs and herd as we help more and more individuals in our community, scheduled for Sept. 23. Then we're planning a Family Fun Event for our center's participants - details to come! Stay in the know by signing up for our quarterly newsletter.
We're INCREDIBLY COOL thanks to Tucker Foundation's donation for us to purchase and install two giant arena fans at our riding facility! This is a game-changer for riders and participants during the many hot months in Tennessee and helps to keep the air clear and cool for riders and horses.
We're got AMAZING FRIENDS! A big thank you to Sherry Brown for her generosity and support of Tri-State! She has not only sponsored several of our horses but saw the need for our sweet mini's to have their own shelter in their little pasture. Stop by to see the progress later this month. Thanks to Sherry, Bert & Frosty will enjoy getting out of the elements just like the big boys in the gelding's pasture, just in "miniaturized form".