At BEAMING, we transform lives through equine partnerships. Through interaction and connection with horses, our program participants are able to learn, heal and grow, empowering them to improve their physical, mental and emotional health.
We embrace diversity, we promote inclusion and we celebrate those with diverse abilities. The BEAMING Barn is a safe, nonjudgmental community gathering space where all are welcome.
BEAMING offers equine programs in six primary categories: diverse abilities support (for children with challenging physical and/or cognitive disabilities and/or mood disorders), dementia support, teen support, veterans’ support, trauma support and women’s support.
Our programs include Saddle Up for Success (individual lessons), Dragons in Flight (advanced lessons), Partners in Riding (a partnership with local school districts) and Pony Power Academy (for children who have struggled learning to read and write); LAUNCH (group classes) for troubled and hurting youth; Horses, Hearts & Heroes for veterans; RideStrong for those affected by trauma; Steady Strides for Parkinson’s (for those with PD dementia), and we are the second in the nation to offer Riding in the Moment, a program for seniors with early- to moderate-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s or other forms of memory loss.
In addition, we offer regular Equine-Assisted Memory Cafes which invite seniors in the community with memory loss and their caregivers to improve their quality of life by experiencing the benefits of equine-assisted services. We also hold two annual camps (two sessions each), Hold Your Horses Teen Camp for troubled and hurting youth, and Autism Camp for children with autism.
BEAMING was founded in 2004 and is a member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International.
Equine-assisted services refers to traditional riding or adaptive riding activities conducted by a PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certified instructor. The participant must continuously contract and relax muscles to re-balance, which ultimately improves core strength, flexibility, and balance.
For individuals with learning or mental disabilities, riding compels them to increase concentration, patience, and discipline. If a psychological or emotional disability is present, the unique relationship formed with a horse can help improve interpersonal relationships as well. Here are some other advantages of equine services:
Studies have found that horses mimic the movements of the human gait. As a result, riding a horse can stimulate the muscles a person uses to walk that otherwise would not have been stimulated.
Pre and post functional improvement measures are evaluated to assess participant improvements, as well as the completion of satisfaction surveys by parents and caregivers of participants. Average improvements were calculated in the 6 following areas:
