About River Valley Riders

Our Organization

River Valley Riders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and volunteer-based organization with three beautiful locations in Afton and Scandia, MN, and East Farmington, WI. Our mission is to enrich the lives of children and adults with special needs by providing equine assisted activities and therapies. We currently offer therapeutic horseback riding and carriage driving lessons.

All of our lessons are open to students in the greater Minneapolis/St.Paul metro area and western Wisconsin and take place from April through October. We are proud to say that our services are possible with the help of over 200 caring volunteers who dedicated over 6,200 hours in 2012 alone! As a team, we work together to enhance the participant’s physical, cognitive and emotional health while building a community of structure and support.

Please note: Safety is a high priority and we conduct all lessons in accordance with the safety, training and instructional guidelines of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

Benefits

Research demonstrates that therapeutic horseback riding can have many benefits.

Physical

Because a horse's gait is similar to the human walk, this three-dimensional movement is transferred from the horse to the rider and helps to strengthen spine and pelvic muscles and improve posture and balance. Additional exercises during lessons help to improve coordination and increase flexibility.

Cognitive

Lessons incorporate educational activities to improve hand-eye coordination and communication, as well as reading and math skills.

Emotional

Riders develop self-confidence and self-esteem by accomplishing challenges as independently as possible. The instructors and volunteers always interact with the riders with patience and kindness while our horses offer unconditional acceptance.