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	Tobi Draper enjoys riding and and assisted by Mosaic staff and volunteers.

The 22 acres of former farmland that surround the Mosaic offices and the Mosaic-Redwine Childcare Center in San Angelo, Texas, provide the perfect setting for a therapeutic horse riding program that began in June. Known as Mosaic TRAILS (Therapeutic Riding for the Achievement of Individual Life Success), the program has been well-received and already has shown success. Here are a few of the stories.

Marian has lived in a Mosaic group home in the San Angelo area since 1989. With sparse verbal communication and a spare smile, Marian presents a rather serious demeanor. That seriousness gave way to animated laughter on her first horse ride after the horse went about 10 steps. She has continued to ride as often as possible and continues to be just as joyous about her experience. When the riding staff see Marian in other settings, she approaches them and talks excitedly about the horses.

Four-year-old Caden has had more than his share of challenges since his birth. Caden works hard to have muscle control, but with the help of his parents, his teachers, and a Shetland pony named Annie, he is riding horses in the "Pony Partner" classes at Mosaic, just like the other children. His Occupational Therapist came to the riding center to help staff learn to position him on the pony in a way that would have maximum therapeutic benefit for him. Caden's father, Jeremy,
noted that while Caden's muscles are in constant motion when he is sitting or lying down, on the pony, Caden is totally still and relaxed.

Tobi is a young woman who was once the literal ‘poster child' for a therapeutic riding program. She aged out of that program, however, and went for many years without the calming affect of horses in her life. An excellent rider, Tobi is thrilled to have the opportunity to be riding again and to connect with the horses.

Liz Jones, Executive Director of Mosaic in San Angelo, has dreamed of starting the program for years. When Mosaic acquired the land the program now owns, Jones began working toward this goal.

"I've seen the benefits that it has for people," she said. "I've had horses all my life and they're extremely therapeutic for me."

Preston Conner rides a pony at Mosaic TRAILS program, assisted by staff members and client volunteer Chris Navarette.

Therapeutic riding is available to all clients served by Mosaic. So far the youngest rider has been 3 and the oldest is 60, Jones said, adding that parents of children enrolled in the daycare were particularly excited about the opportunity. The Mosaic-Redwine Childcare Center serves both children with disabilities and children who do not have disabilities.

The seven horses used in the program include four owned by Jones herself. The others are brought by volunteers. The children ride ponies. The two instructors-in-training are working toward certification by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. Additionally the program utilizes an occupational therapist and is planning to offer hippotherapy. (Hippos is the Greek word for horse.)

"Therapeutic riding can be more recreational in nature whereas hippotherapy is used to accomplish therapeutic objectives using the movement of the horse," Jones said. "In therapeutic riding, the rider moves the horse, but in hippotherapy, the horse moves the rider. It may look the same but the objectives are different."

The instructors use the riding time to teach skills, offering educational directives about colors and directions into the experience.

"Hopefully people really can learn to ride a horse," Jones said. "One of the greatest benefits for people is the way riding boosts their confidence. Controlling a 1,000 pound animal certainly gives one reason to be self-assured. For people who don't often have a lot of control over what happens in their lives, riding is a very empowering experience."