Reins Therapeutic Horsemanship Program
by Miriam Lucero
W
elcome to REINS! A therapeutic riding program in the San Diego area, a program that works direct- ly with children and adults with development dis- abilities. I had the pleasure of touring REINS and meeting the Director Deborah Shiner who started
volunteering at REINS in 1992, and became the Executive Director in 1995. Deborah, shared with me, “I love the fact that at Reins we make a difference in people’s lives, whether it be our students, families, our volunteers, or our community as a whole. Every day I want to come to work because I am always greeted with smiles, hugs, and a staff that is as passionate about what they do as I am”.
Meeting the staff and volunteers, all have been at REINS for many years. One staff Member told me, “I started volunteering at 11 years old, went to College and received my degree in Behavioral Health, and came back to REINS, and I love working here”. I spoke with some of the students, and they love REINS. What’s not to love, the place is full of love, compassion, and Deborah Shiner and her staff are dedi- cated to the students, the horses, and each other.
Looking around, we met many of the horses. You will notice they are Norwegian Fjord, a smaller horse that is wonderful with the students
6 DECEMBER / JANUARY 2018 I HORSE & AG MAGAZINE
and has a calm temperament. REINS also has the correct equipment to hoist the students onto the horses, but with having a smaller horse, if a student were to fall, the impact would not be as severe. REINS is a nonprofit 501c3 and is supported by community donations, and the community of Fallbrook, CA is very involved with REINS. REINS boards horses, which as Deborah Shinner tells me, “it helped pay off the Mortgage payment this year”!
Through my tour I met one of the boarded horses, a beautiful black Friesian that I fell in love with. We instantly bonded, and she was very playful. REINS is a very relaxing place, surrounded with beau- tiful trees, gorgeous weather, and you can feel the breeze from the Ocean.
At Reins, children and adults with disabilities learn how to ride hors- es. This is an intense form of therapy that benefits a wide range of abilities. Their current enrollment is nearly 200 weekly students who come from all over the counties of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego. They have the help of over 100 weekly volunteers who assist in all aspects of the program.
Therapeutic horseback riding benefits almost any disabling con-
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