Te’s journey at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC) is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of therapeutic riding. Te started riding at CTRC when he was four years old. Now sixteen, Te finds joy at CTRC through the support of his family, the volunteers and staff, and his cherished horse, Magic. Despite being non-verbal, non-ambulatory, and immune-compromised, Te has shown incredible resilience.

Te’s mother emphasizes the importance of focusing on quality of life, saying, “We don’t know how much time we have with Te, so we are focusing on quality, not quantity.” Therapeutic riding has been a significant contributor to this quality of life. It has helped Te get out of his chair and bed, enhancing his flexibility and strength in ways his orthopedist finds surprising. The physical benefits are evident, with Te maintaining more flexibility than expected from traditional therapies, even reducing the recovery time from his hip surgery.

Riding is especially meaningful to Te because it’s an activity he can share with his sister. Cea, who has been trained as a sidewalker. The family often goes to the center for Te’s lessons together and Cea helps and encourages Te. This allows them to connect in a unique way that isn’t easy to create opportunities for in light of Te’s disabilities. CTRC has also become a pivotal part of Te’s family life. His mother appreciates the connections made with other parents of disabled children and the opportunity for both of her children to interact with animals and horses together. The family has found a supportive community among fellow riders’ guardians, where friendships are formed and shared experiences enrich their lives. Te’s involvement with CTRC even inspired his music therapist to compose a piece, “Te on the Wings of Magic,” which was performed by Te’s school band, celebrating his unique journey and achievements.

 

In order to help ensure access to everyone who needs them, CTRC offers its services at 1/3 of the cost to all of our riders. The remaining 2/3 of our operating budget is met through the generosity of our donors. If you would like to help ensure that we can continue to offer our life-changing services to people like Te , you can donate online here: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/championforctrc, send a check made out to CTRC to 11968 Mineral Rd, Longmont, CO, 80504, or contact our Development Director, Natalee Roeder, at 720.336.1467 or development@ctrcinc.org to discuss other ways to give.