Shining Stars Therapeutic Riding Program

09/03/2026

The most recent edition of our Hoofbeats and Highlights e-newsletter went out yesterday. You can read it and subscribe at the link in the comments.

This edition included a profile of Shining Star Elijah, which appeared last month in the Gettysburg Times:

When Elijah (Eli) first visited our farm this spring, our staff and his grandparents were nervous. Eli is blind and has autism, and no one was sure how he'd react to meeting a thousand-pound horse for the first time. But Eli walked right up to Tucker and began petting his side. Then he gave Tucker a big kiss on the side. A friendship was born and Eli registered for therapeutic riding lessons this summer.

Eli's grandmother, Linda, first learned about therapeutic riding while researching programs that might help Eli, and a contact at the Lions Club pointed her toward Shining Stars. She hoped it might offer something Eli doesn't get from other activities: real enjoyment, along with a chance to build confidence and skills.

That hope has been realized. Because Eli experiences the world primarily through touch and sound rather than sight, our staff adapts every lesson for him. We bring items he can feel rather than see and encourage him to use hearing to navigate the farm. It's working beautifully. After just a few weeks, Eli can identify a horse simply by the sounds it makes. Eli's goals are to keep building his confidence and sharpen the senses he relies on most. He is also working on fine motor coordination skills and is now steering Tucker on his own.

At home, the impact is just as visible. Linda says Eli talks about Shining Stars constantly and can't wait to tell his classmates about riding when school starts. Lesson phrases like "walk on" have even found their way into everyday conversation at home. For Linda, watching Eli light up with pride and achievement has been a joy.

Eli's story is a reminder of why we do this work, and we are excited to watch him continue thriving!

09/02/2026

Would you like to learn about rewarding volunteer opportunities? Are you curious about what an equine therapy program looks like and how they help people? Do you like meeting AMAZING therapy horses?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, we look forward to seeing you at Shining Stars' Open Barn on September 26 from 12pm - 2pm.

09/01/2026

‼️Our new home is taking shape‼️

After many weeks of site work and preparing our 60-acre property, exterior wall framings are now up. Pictured is framing for our office and client space in the front, and an indoor arena (large enough to host two programs simultaneously) in the back.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our Unbridled Future Capital Campaign so far! We still have work to do to make our dreams a reality. Learn more about how you can get involved at the link in the comments.

08/31/2026

Time is running out to get tickets for Unbridled Taste! The ticket price goes up this Saturday, so get your tickets today at the link in the comments.

Attendees will enjoy tastings from Pahlmeyer Winery, a great selection of bourbons, chef stations, visits from Shining Stars mini therapy horses, live music, dancing, and exciting auction items. All proceeds benefit our mission of providing life-changing equine therapy to our community.

We look forward to seeing you at our new farm September 19! 🐴🍷🥃🎸

08/27/2026

We are thankful for CommunityAid Foundation's support of our therapeutic cart-driving program. As this program grows, we needed new equipment and their grant provided funds for a new harness.

In addition to grant funding, we receive financial support for every donation of clothing and hard goods donated to CommunityAid through Shining Stars. Bring items to lessons, or drop off at a CommunityAid store and provide our partner number (20078). Your donation of these items benefits people in our community and provides financial support to Shining Stars.

Thank you CommunityAid and CommunityAid Foundation!

"No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us as dogs and horses." — Herman Melville

We recently supported Shining Stars Therapeutic Riding Program by helping them purchase a new harness. These are regularly for their therapeutic cart driving program, which doubled in student size in the last year! Additionally, they are training two horses so that they can continue to expand this program in the future.

For one student struggling with Angelman Syndrome, the difference is clear: "She always gets excited when arriving at the arena. She has done a great job learning to lead the horse, following directions, and communicating."

We are so grateful for Shining Stars and their impact and for those shopping at CommunityAid, who make stories like this possible.

08/25/2026

We may be in between Summer and Fall lessons, but our therapeutic cart-driving team is keeping our horses engaged physically and mentally. Teddy, Dreamer, and Oreo enjoyed their workout today.

08/21/2026

Earlier this summer, we asked for the Shining Stars community for help. Therapy horse Teddy required an emergency kidney stone removal procedure, leaving us with an unforeseen expense. Thanks to you, we fully funded his two vet bills! We are blessed to have such a generous community of supporters behind us.

Teddy is fully recovered and participated in summer lessons. Like our students, he is looking forward to the Fall Session starting next month.

08/20/2026

Do you like horses? Do you like positvely impacting people? Do you like being a part of a fun and supportive community? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, volunteering with Shining Stars is the opportunity for you!

Now is the perfect time to get involved - we have several Volunteer Trainings next month. Learn more at: https://shiningstarstr.org/volunteer/

08/19/2026

While our summer session of lessons has come to a close, the skills, strength, and self-confidence our students gained at our arenas over the past 9 weeks will carry on.

We have one open spot left in our fall session, starting September 14, for unmounted Equine Connection. If you are interested in participating, visit https://shiningstarstr.org/registration/

08/18/2026

Progress continues on our new facility! Here you can see the footprint of our office and client space (top) and indoor arena large enough to host two programs simultaneously (bottom). Exterior walls will be erected in the coming weeks. We are so excited about our future home!

This project is possible thanks to the support of our community. Click the link in the comments to learn more about how you can get involved (including purchasing a personalized brick).