Bryce Morehead, 3, of Parkersburg mounts Tigger to start his Easterseals Ride With Pride therapy session at Dutch Pines Equine in Guysville. Assisting from left to right are Easterseals physical therapist Shawn Jones, Easterseals occupational therapist MaryLee Kelly and Dutch Pines co-owner Jessie Quinlan. (Photo Provided)

GUYSVILLE, Ohio — School’s out for summer, but children with disabilities still need therapy.

To meet their needs while maintaining the playful vibe of summer break, therapists at the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center have partnered with Dutch Pines Equine for the fourth year to offer Ride With Pride horse-assisted therapy.

Twenty children each received three hour-long riding sessions this summer. The grant-funded program provides individualized three-to-one physical and occupational therapy — four-to-one counting the horse — and is free for enrolled families. Gasoline also is covered.

Easterseals therapists MaryLee Kelly of Guysville and Shawn Jones of Vienna created Ride With Pride to serve school clients from Belpre, Wolf Creek Local Schools and Jackson County and West Virginia Birth to Three clients.

Kelly has taken riding lessons at Dutch Pines from co-owner Jessie Quinlan and made a meaningful connection with the animals. Jones enjoyed having a horse as a child.

Crosby Moore, 7, of Belpre takes a ride on Jake during Easterseals’ Ride With Pride at Dutch Pines Equine in Guysville. Assisting from left to right are Easterseals physical therapist Shawn Jones, Dutch Pines co-owner Jessie Quinlan and Easterseals occupational therapist MaryLee Kelly. (Photo Provided)

“It occurred to me that if this was good for my own physical, social and emotional well-being, then why not for the kids I work with in therapy?” Kelly said.

Easterseals greenlit a plan and funding was found in less than a year, Kelly said.

“We found funding, took our own training in equine-assisted therapy, prepared the horses for this special work and welcomed our first group of riders in 2018,” she said.

The program was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Utilizing her training and experience, Quinlan matches each child with a horse or pony based on size and temperament. During each hour-long session, Quinlan leads the horse around the indoor arena while Kelly, an occupational therapist, and Jones, a physical therapist, flank the horse.

Bryce Morehead, 3, of Parkersburg squirts water on the hands of his sister Ella, 7, during Easterseals’ Ride With Pride at Dutch Pines Equine in Guysville. Assisting from left to right are Easterseals physical therapist Shawn Jones, Easterseals occupational therapist MaryLee Kelly and Dutch Pines co-owner Jessie Quinlan. (Photo Provided

They support each child in the saddle and take them through various exercises, such as nabbing a 12-inch diameter plastic ring while on the move or shooting a water squirter at a small stationary target.

“We are able to help kids in this program in a variety of ways: speech and language, social-emotional skills and just the physical part of it with the horse, which can help kids who have possibly cerebral palsy or some other physical disability who needs strength or balance,” Jones said.

Children also feed and water the horses, brush them and thank them when their session is finished.

“This promotes a sense of connection with the horse and encourages taking responsibility for their care,” Kelly said.

Resident goats and chickens add to the excitement of the experience. Often, siblings and grandparents will join in the fun as helpers or observers.

Kelly said Ride With Pride is a fitting name because it embodies her favorite part of the program: confidence-building.

“On their first visit to the arena, many of them are extremely anxious about being in a new place with new people, doing new things. Three therapy sessions later they storm into the arena, and all we see are buckets swinging, hay flying and the dust as the mounting steps are dragged into place. … They are empowered,” Kelly said.

Bryce Morehead, 3, of Parkersburg is a case in point. During his first session in late June, he balked at riding Tigger, arching his back while in the saddle. But soon, he was enjoying the ride. The following week, he was all smiles and giggles, his blond curls peeking out from under his helmet and blue eyes gleaming as he rode Tigger around the arena.

“Today he got on, he reached forward, he was able to move his trunk and twist and turn which really helps with his balance,” Jones said.

Bryce’s older brother, Carter, 12, and sister, Ella, 7, helped out by holding rings for him to grab and allowing him to squirt water on their hands.

Crosby Moore, 7, of Belpre participated in Ride With Pride for the second year. Crosby, who has autism, was scared at first but now really looks forward to each session. Mom Jordan Moore said she has scheduled additional lessons at Dutch Pines for both Crosby and his sister.

“It’s really neat to watch him use his core and his arms and his hand-eye coordination,” Jordan Moore said.

This year’s program wrapped up July 20.

Ride With Pride is funded by Easterseals and the Donald Morris Charitable Trust. Gas cards were provided by John and Sue Wells of Avon, Ohio.