Barbie, an 8-year-old Haflinger, just joined the Centenary University TRAC program.

Acquired from an anonymous donor, Barbie will teach both children and adults with disabilities in the Therapeutic Riding at Centenary program which is part of the school’s Equine Studies program, located at the Equine Center at 40 Califon Road, Long Valley.

To prove she is more than just a pretty face, Barbie, went through 10 weeks of acclimation training at Centenary to become accustomed to providing lessons in horsemanship and riding skills to children and adults with disabilities, while enhancing related goals such as balance, strength, and sensory integration.

Therapeutic riding horses require special qualities to adapt to riders with varying physical and emotional needs, according to Karen Brittle, assistant professor of equine studies and director of TRAC. “This job can be mentally demanding for a horse,” Brittle explained. “When a horse is ridden by one person for sport or competition, they learn that person’s quirks and have a partnership with that person. Therapeutic riding horses can be handled by dozens of people in a week, and riders with special needs bring different behaviors and energy levels to their lessons. These horses need to really enjoy being handled by people.”

Brittle added that therapeutic riding horses must also have a calm, patient temperament: “These horses have to be predictable in their behavior and tolerate changes to their environment. Horses are prey animals, so their nature is to flee to safety when they’re in a claustrophobic situation. At any time, Barbie and our other therapeutic riding horses may have a rider, someone on the lead, and one or two people walking on the sides, depending on the support needs of the rider. So, they could work for an hour surrounded by four people. It takes a very special horse to adapt to this type of work.”

The University also offers a therapeutic riding program for veterans called Operation Centaur.

(Photos courtesy of Centenary University)