Horse Ranch for Special Needs Kids Needs Help

Ask anyone who rides a horse and they’ll tell you how therapeutic it can be. That same therapy is used at Ready Set Ride for physically and mentally disabled kids, but maintaining the horses and everything that comes with it is costly, and donations are sought to help keep the nonprofit galloping.

According to its website, Ready Set Ride “bases its program on developmental techniques utilizing the horses as a means of mobility for the children. Certified therapeutic riding instructors guide the students and closely monitor individual needs to encourage consistent improvement. Therapy is conducted in the form of games on horseback which incorporate physical, speech, occupational, developmental and recreational therapy.”

Ready Set Ride Volunteer and Fundraising Coordinator Lesley Caramusa said they’re desperate for money to keep the operation going. They also need volunteers.

“Fall sessions are almost over. We’ll go through the rest of September. But there’s still those months in the winter that, even though we don’t have sessions, the horses still need to be taken care,” Caramusa said.

To help pay for the care during the winter months, Ready Set Ride will hold its 10th Annual Benefit Auction at 176 West Banquet Hall in Joliet from 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 30. Tickets for the fundraiser are available for purchase now.

But the auction is just for the winter months and more money is needed to help after. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Ready Set Ride and Caramusa said they’re hoping to raise at least $25,000.

16 horses are at Ready Set Ride and each horse costs around $300 a month to be taken care of.

If the nonprofit doesn’t get the money it needs, horses may need to be given away to ease the financial burden.

Ready Set Ride Co-Director Lisa Afshari said there are horses available that can fit the needs of a lot of kids, but the kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from the horses.

“Once (people) come and they start volunteering, they get attached to the horses, they have a purpose for coming and helping every week,” Afshari said, adding that they get around 100 volunteers a week.

Ready Set Ride is located at 13056 Essington Rd. in Plainfield.

Photo courtesy of Ready Set Ride