Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program

Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program offers adaptive horseback riding, adaptive horseback riding lessons, hippotherapy, and other equine facilitated activities for children with special needs. The program also provides occupational therapy incorporating hippotherapy services, where occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use equine movement as a therapy tool. Riders give signals or commands such as “walk on” or “trot,” and horseback riding helmets are required for all riders, with ASTM/SEI approved horseback riding helmets accepted and helmets available to borrow during sessions.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Children typically ride once a week for 30 minutes, and the program is open year-round, with closures when the Kenosha Unified School District is closed due to snow, during heat advisories for Kenosha County, and at other times at the program’s discretion.

Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program is a pediatric facility that serves children ages 3–18 and does not provide services for adults. Potential clients are evaluated on an individual basis, and a physician’s release is required for all clients. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy require a physician’s referral. The program states that the horse’s gait is very similar to a human’s in stride length, number of strides per minute, and three planes of movement, and for some riders it is the first time they have been able to feel what walking is like. Children can bond with a special horse and develop lifelong relationships, and some children leave behind crutches, wheelchairs, and therapies while riding. Children learn essential life skills such as talking, signing, walking, and focusing on their therapies without realizing it, and adaptive horseback riding emphasizes and teaches riding skills while incorporating life skills and IEP goals. An on-site occupational therapy and speech-language pediatric practice integrates hippotherapy into the patient’s plan of care. Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program always rides in an indoor arena for safety purposes.

Adaptive horseback riding lessons at Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program are taught by PATH International registered instructors. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool. Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and its mission is improving the lives of children with special needs through equine facilitated activities by providing individualized care to maximize the child’s potential. The program works with several third party funding sources and accepts various grants and scholarships from other organizations. The program offers tours and presentations to clubs or organizations.

Last updated February 27, 2026.