Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports to Offer World-Class Rehabilitative to Recreational Equestrian Sport Services

    LYMAN, ME, July 28, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports, a premier organization offering comprehensive equestrian educational services, announced it will broaden its spectrum of programming to include its flagship therapeutic services as well as recreational riding instruction and enhanced educational offerings. To support its programming, The Equest Foundation, an independent non-profit organization, was simultaneously created to raise scholarships for students in need who participate at Carlisle Academy.

For 12 years Equest Therapeutic Riding Center, a premier nationally accredited facility through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, successfully served more than 500 people with innovative programming for riders with cognitive and physical disabilities. The economic landscape changed, making delivery of these services more difficult for a non-profit relying primarily on fundraising. By shifting to a more sustainable business model and diversifying its scope of services to all, Carlisle Academy now offers new opportunities to the riding community in three key areas: therapy and adaptive riding; sports and education; and training and leadership.

"We know first-hand the transformative power horses bring to people; it is at the heart of all we do, yet providing those key experiences was increasingly difficult without sustainable funding," Sarah Armentrout, Head of Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports, said. "In looking to our future we want to thrive, not just survive. To do so we developed a two-pronged approach: first to give our program a greater breadth of offerings thru Carlisle Academy, and secondly to develop the charitable foundation so people in need would not be excluded from participation."

Carlisle kicked off its new program in April with a premier two-day riding clinic with Olympic Judge Hanneke Gerritsen of Holland, sponsored in part by United States Para Equestrian Association (USPEA). Para equestrian riders from the grassroots to the elite level from around the country attended and were able to work directly with a top international judge.

In June the Academy hosted its first certification program to Physical and Occupational Therapists wanting to further their education and credentials in the field of hippotherapy. Faculty from the American Hippotherapy Association taught the Level II Course, while practitioners traveled from as far away as Bermuda, the Midwest, and South Korea.

"Having the opportunity and flexibility to host training sessions such as these is very motivating for us because high level educational opportunities in these areas are limited. People will travel from all over to participate - enthusiastically!" Armentrout said.

The Academy will continue to be an industry leader in hippotherapy and adaptive riding programs and is committed to working with the medical community to promote research and further understanding of the remarkable benefits equine-assisted therapies can bring to individuals. With its more integrated direction, equestrians of all abilities can now partake in many diversified activities, from lectures to riding lessons, vaulting and jump nights. Medical interns and community apprentices can develop horsemanship, teaching, and practical application skills directly in the field. Additionally, budding Para athletes and traditional equestrians are supported in reaching their goals through the Academy's emerging sports and education program.

"We are truly excited about our future and this is just a small sample of what we can offer," Armentrout said. "Hippotherapy and adaptive riding have been our mainstays in the past, and we are committed to delivering excellence and innovation in these areas. Under the new direction and with a greater revenue stream, our goal is to seize new opportunities and mobilize our program into new competitive areas while still maintaining an inclusive environment that fosters growth and well-being for all."

Paralympian and President of the USPEA Hope Hand praised the development of Carlisle Academy's mission and stressed the importance of having training centers of this caliber across the country.

"Our sport is going places," Hand said. "In readying our Para riders to be competitive at the Olympic Games in 2012 and beyond our organization is dedicated to partnering with programs such as Carlisle Academy to create educational and training opportunities for our riders and coaches from the grassroots to the elite levels of international competition. Their programming and expertise is a valuable resource to our program."

For more information on Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports please visit us at www.carlisleacademymaine.com, or on Facebook; call 207-985-0374; or email us at [email protected].

About Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports:

Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports is a comprehensive organization offering their hallmark equestrian hippotherapy and adaptive programs; new offerings of Para-Equestrian sport; and traditional equestrian training opportunities for educators, practitioners and riders alike. The mission for Carlisle Academy for Integrative Equine Therapy and Sports is to transform lives through horses through its distinctive services - rehabilitative through recreational - within an inclusive environment that fosters learning, growth and overall well-being. For more information please visit us at www.carlisleacademymaine.com, or on Facebook; call 207-985-0374; or email us at [email protected].

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