With an open house March 28, classes are again in session for therapeutic horse rides at Branbury Cross Therapeutic Equestrian Center.
Opened in 1991 by Oxford insurance-man Ralph Curtis and his wife Carol, the center has moved to 18 acres at 1223 Brauer Road, north of Oxford. With the help of volunteers, the center serves folks with cognitive and physical disabilities.
‘We don’t call it ‘therapy,?? said Carol Curtis. ‘It’s therapeutic. They (those enrolled in the program) usually have so many therapies they go through.
This is something they can do just like everybody else and at the same time be good for them. Horseback riding helps riders development mentally and physically.?
Riding a horse helps those on top with balance and concentration.
She said the warmth and movements of a horse help relax tight muscles. Riding a horse also helps riders who have a hard time walking, learn how to hold their upper body.
‘Many (who have a disability with walking) over compensate with their upper body. The horse mimics movement of human walk,? she said.
Each rider, Curtis said, can have up to four volunteers keeping them atop the horse. Throughout the year, she said, the center uses the help of about 70 volunteers.
The new Brauer Road digs, allows the center to offer classes year-round because of a heated riding arena.
Curtis said they offer 13 classes a week and riders are grouped with like disabilities.
For more information about the center call 248-628-RIDE.