Wynn MedingerThe bridle path that winds through New York City’s Central Park was designed to be enjoyed from the back of a horse and on Sunday, May 21, riders from GallopNYC did just that. Seeing people on mounted horseback is increasingly rare in the park, so what better way to draw attention to the needs of New Yorkers with disabilities and special needs than a promenade with beautiful horses?
Promenade riders included children and adults with disabilities, seniors, veterans, sponsors and champions of GallopNYC. The organization is New York City’s only therapeutic horsemanship organization and serves hundreds of New Yorkers each week. The event connected GallopNYC with the broader New York City community and celebrated how unique programs for people with special needs create pathways to possibility.
Riders enjoyed the bridle path surrounded by volunteers, GallopNYC riding instructors and supporters. In the park, GallopNYC staff and volunteers organized a family zone to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic riding and equine-assisted programming. Everyone’s favorite GallopNYC ambassadors, miniature horses Priscilla and Joy, were on hand to delight attendees with a reading program.
“This event is an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, New York, we’re here to help people with disabilities, with differences, with challenges thrive and grow and find their pathways to possibility through therapeutic horsemanship and horseback riding,'” Executive Director Marcos Stafne said. “We know that lives are changing every day at GallopNYC!”