High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Program

High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Program We seek to provide a unique opportunity for people with special needs through the horse-human bond.

The High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Program was developed in 1997 by a committee of parents, educators and professionals who were interested in providing a therapeutic riding experience for children with developmental disabilities. The program has expanded over the years and currently serves hundreds of riders, from age three to eighty-three years of age. High Hurdles offers cognitively, emotional

ly and physically challenged individuals a unique opportunity for growth and development. Instructors, students, horses and volunteers all work together to achieve challenging yet attainable horsemanship goals. Learning to care for and about horses while mastering riding skills is what High Hurdles is all about.

It’s time for a word search challenge! 🔎How many hidden words can you find? Put your horse and High Hurdles knowledge to...
09/01/2026

It’s time for a word search challenge! 🔎

How many hidden words can you find? Put your horse and High Hurdles knowledge to the test, then comment below and tell us how many you found!

Think you found them all? Check back tomorrow, we’ll post the answer key in the comments! 🧩✨

That post-trot smile says it all! 😄Jordan is looking pretty proud after a great ride. We love seeing those big smiles in...
08/31/2026

That post-trot smile says it all! 😄

Jordan is looking pretty proud after a great ride. We love seeing those big smiles in the arena!

Jaelle is continuing to work hard on becoming a more independent and balanced rider! 💪One of the ways she’s practicing h...
08/27/2026

Jaelle is continuing to work hard on becoming a more independent and balanced rider! 💪

One of the ways she’s practicing her balance is with a fun challenge: placing a ring on top of her helmet and seeing if she can keep it there while riding around the arena!

It may look like a simple game, but it encourages riders to focus on their posture, balance, and body control while staying centered in the saddle. And Jaelle is doing a great job! 👏

Linda is blind, but that didn’t stop her from taking aim! She used the sound of the tap on the tin to help guide her, li...
08/26/2026

Linda is blind, but that didn’t stop her from taking aim! She used the sound of the tap on the tin to help guide her, listening carefully to line up her shot, and she hit the bullseye! 👏💦

This is such a great example of how adapting an activity to use a rider’s strengths and other senses can make it accessible, fun, and successful.

Way to go, Linda! 🎯💙

Meet Zakaria! Zakaria speaks Arabic and is learning how to communicate with his horse, asking his horse to walk on, stee...
08/25/2026

Meet Zakaria! Zakaria speaks Arabic and is learning how to communicate with his horse, asking his horse to walk on, steer, and follow his directions. And when it comes to his favorite part of riding? Going FAST! 😄🐎

We love watching Zakaria build confidence, develop new skills, and discover his own way of communicating with his horse!

🎲 Who knew Monopoly could become a riding lesson?!This week at High Hurdles, some of our riders put a new spin on the cl...
08/21/2026

🎲 Who knew Monopoly could become a riding lesson?!

This week at High Hurdles, some of our riders put a new spin on the classic game! As they rolled the dice, they moved through different riding and horsemanship challenges, from trotting between letters and walking laps to navigating poles and cones, delivering items to the mailbox, changing across the diagonal, playing ring toss, and more.

Each roll brought a new challenge, keeping riders engaged while working on skills like following directions, balance, coordination, focus, and confidence. It also adds a fun element of choice and motivation, because sometimes the best way to practice a skill is to turn it into a game!

Treat time is a great opportunity for riders to practice safe and respectful horse-handling skills! 🥕When giving horses ...
08/19/2026

Treat time is a great opportunity for riders to practice safe and respectful horse-handling skills! 🥕

When giving horses treats, we teach our riders to offer them from a feed pan or bucket rather than directly from their hands. This helps prevent horses from learning to search for treats, nudge, or nip at people’s hands and clothing. It also encourages horses to keep their manners and wait patiently for their reward.

It may seem like a small detail, but these little lessons help build safe habits for both our riders and our horses! 💙

🍂 Join us for the High Hurdles Fall Student Horse Show! 🍂Come out Saturday, September 12th at 9:00 AM as our riders show...
08/17/2026

🍂 Join us for the High Hurdles Fall Student Horse Show! 🍂

Come out Saturday, September 12th at 9:00 AM as our riders showcase the skills, confidence, and progress they’ve been working hard to develop!

Cheer on our riders, celebrate their accomplishments, and enjoy a morning at the barn with the High Hurdles community. We’ll also have a basket raffle with a variety of great prizes, so be sure to stop by and try your luck! 🎟️

📅 Saturday, September 12th
⏰ 9:00 AM
📍 High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Center

We’d love to see our families, friends, volunteers, and community members come out to support our riders and celebrate their achievements!

Sometimes, our riders don’t need a traditional saddle to have a great lesson! 🐴Our riders sometimes use a saddle pad wit...
08/13/2026

Sometimes, our riders don’t need a traditional saddle to have a great lesson! 🐴

Our riders sometimes use a saddle pad with a vaulting surcingle to work on balance, posture, core strength, and body awareness. The surcingle provides handles for added stability while allowing riders to feel the horse’s movement more directly.

These tools help our instructors adapt each lesson to the individual rider’s needs and goals, making riding both accessible and beneficial. 💙

Our lesson horses work hard in the arena, so every once in a while, they get to enjoy a change of pace! Our instructors ...
08/11/2026

Our lesson horses work hard in the arena, so every once in a while, they get to enjoy a change of pace! Our instructors took some of the High Hurdles horses out for a trail ride to enjoy some fresh air, new scenery, and time outside the arena.

Trail riding can be a great way for horses to experience different sights, sounds, and terrain while keeping them mentally engaged and building confidence. Plus, it’s a fun way for our instructors to spend some quality time with the horses they work with! 💚

Address

13339 Route 39
Sardinia, NY
14134

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 7:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 7:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 7:30pm
Thursday 10am - 7:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 7:30pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(716) 496-5551

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