PONY TALES

Susan Schwartz has dedicated a lifetime to helping special needs children, but in a very unique way. Nearly 30 years ago, the equestrian club where she rode horses began using the animals as part of a physical therapy program for kids with cerebral palsy. Schwartz volunteered to help. “We saw such an amazing difference in these kids after they rode the horses for just one day, and I thought: If one day a year could make this sort of difference, what would happen if they rode once a week?” That thought inspired her to found Equest, a horse-based therapy program for kids and adults with mental and physical disabilities. But she didn’t do it alone. Schwartz recruited the help of co-founder and friend Evelyn Zembrod, a riding instructor. The two women launched Equest in 1981 out of Zembrod’s farm. It was a humble operation with just two horses and four riders. Today, Equest is housed in Wylie, Texas, and it has evolved into a non-profit organization that’s 400 volunteers strong, serving 200 riders per week. “We’ve already had to move twice because we outgrew the properties, and now we’re about to have to move again,” Schwartz jokes. Equest, which does not turn anyone with special needs away, is a therapy with proven benefits. “We’ve had people come through here who were told by doctors that they would never be able to feed themselves again, and eventually, with therapy, we saw them walk again,” Schwartz says. “It’s rewarding to see people doing things they’ve been told they would never be able to do.” Another plus for Schwartz is seeing kids who have suffered from a handicap finally get a sense of normalcy — not only for themselves, but also for their families. “There was a mother who started crying because her 7-year-old daughter’s shoes were dirty for the first time ever. That was such a powerful moment for her, to see her daughter getting to be like other kids. That’s the huge part for me. This gives so many people the opportunity to feel successful.”

For information on Equest, visit equest.org or call 1.800.208.2136.