If you take a bucolic farm view, add in an ocean breeze, and peer between the ears of a horse, you have a perfect setting. The Center for Therapeutic Riding of the East End (CTREE), a not-for-profit organization located on Eastern Long Island, has harnessed, literally, the healing power of horses and uses its programs to bring not only joy but physical, emotional, and social well-being to its participants. Now located at the 25-acre Topping Riding Club in Sagaponack, which is steeped in tradition, CTREE has beautiful greenery for its horses and lessons and a place in a beloved equestrian history.
CTREE Executive Director Cathleen Curran notes of the Club, “They have been so wonderful to us there. They’ve been so accommodating and so nice. We really lucked out.” Topping also has an indoor ring to allow year-round lessons.
CTREE’s mission is to transform lives through the therapeutic power of horses. It provides therapeutic riding lessons and equine-assisted services to children and adults with emotional, cognitive, and physical disabilities.
Curran said, “Our riders run the gamut from quite young all the way up to teenagers. We are pretty eclectic in the needs that we are meeting, the varying disabilities, and some that come more for mental health. We have expanded who we are helping. The response from the parents and the children has been amazing. It is life-changing.” While walking for some is a challenge, in the saddle, they are free. And for those struggling with communication, finding an ally in a horse is a valued point of connection.
Curran noted, “With some of our children with more severe disabilities, we see how much stronger they get with their riding. You see the changes mentally and physically. For parents it is a welcome relief during that half hour. And our volunteers are wonderful. They have been outstanding.”
CTREE has started a new program with the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center, which brings a different group of children each Thursday so they can learn about horse care and riding. “It’s a great way to connect with and help our community,” said Curran. “They wouldn’t have access to horses except for this partnership.”
Another way to help the local community is with CTREE’s program for Fighting Chance for those dealing with cancer. “They get there, and it’s all about the horses and a way to relax and come together with people that are going through or have gone through the same thing,” said Curran. “They brush the horses and interact with them, and they can talk to each other. Plus brushing the horses and grooming is also good physical therapy. It’s a place that’s all theirs and their moment. You are removed from a medical setting, but you are getting your therapy and mental health all wrapped into one.”
Curran also credits their PATH-credited instructors, who work full-time jobs and come after hours to teach. They need expertise in horses and those with special needs.
“They are amazing what they do,” said Curran, “Every rider is so different with their capabilities so they can change their style of how they teach for each one.”
A main funding source for CTREE is their annual Horses Changing Lives summer benefit at the stunning Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton. This year, the event will be held on Thursday, August 22, from 6 to 8 PM. It will feature signature cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a coveted silent auction (which will also be online) with an array of luxury goods and experiences. Brad Penuel of Hopefully Forgiven and Friday Night Traditional will provide live music. The Hampton Classic will also support the event as it kicks off its opening week.
