Therapeutic Services

Equine Assisted Services (EAS) encompasses a range of wellness that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote physical and mental health. EAS are dedicated to improving the mental health of individuals, families, and groups around the world by setting the standard of excellence in equine assisted wellness, learning and personal development.  EAS incorporate equines mounted and unmounted activities. 

EAS can be beneficial for individuals, families, groups, corporations, teachers, students, firefighters, police officers, veterans, and more.

There are many benefits to therapeutic riding; while teaching riding and horsemanship skills, life goals are achieved by the students. It is more than just a pony ride — our clients learn leadership skills, decision-making, and experience improved communication & teamwork while sharpening their cognitive skills. At Strides our certified professional staff considers the clients life goals, and seeks to incorporate these goals into the riding lesson. Each lesson is specifically catered to various learning styles including the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. While learning to ride, the riders are challenged physically and experience improvements in balance, muscle coordination, endurance, and strength. Riding a horse is a holistic way to learn and to be challenged on many different levels. We celebrate our rider’s accomplishments each week as they develop and grow not just as riders, but as people.

Animal wellness incorporates dogs, cats, chickens, birds, equines, and other animals to promote health and healing.  Animal wellness incorporates hands on learning and caring for a variety of animals.  Animals are accepting, comforting, and non-judgmental, making animals an ideal wellness companions. Animal wellness helps clients recover from or cope with a health situation or mental disorder.  

 Art Wellness helps children, adolescents and adults explore their emotions, improve self-esteem, manage addictions, relieve stress, improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cope with physical illness and disability.  Artistic ability is not necessary for art wellness to succeed, because the therapeutic process is not about the artistic value of the work, but rather about finding associations between the creative choices made and a client's inner life.  The artwork can be used as a springboard for reawakening memories and telling stories that may reveal messages and beliefs from the unconscious mind.  

Yoga wellness is a gently paced session that will improve flexibility, core strength and balance while connecting breathing with movement.  Each session will start and end with meditation.  A range of themes are used in the meditations that include, but are not limited to: Mindfulness, Gratitude, Kindness, Empowerment Courage, Self-Acceptance, Self-Love, Self-Care, and Wellness.  This yoga-flow will ease the client into poses while quieting the mind and releasing stress.  While stretching, the gentle movements can release muscular tension and pain.  Both gentle and more challenging yoga options are available to keep clients engaged with maximum benefits. 

The Strides skill development program of Central Wisconsin empowers the youth, adolescents, and adults through positive inspiration and guidance by a Strides provider while creating a challenge for reaching a goal designed specifically for them resulting in a lasting, positive impact in their life.  

We transport the participant within and outside their community to explore, stay active and engaged, purposeful play for children, and work towards recovery plan goals. 

Strides skill development providers envision a community in which every youth, adolescent, and adult discovers their "untapped" potential through a positive, caring one on one relationship which in turn allows each of them to develop and learn to lead a joyful, inspired and productive life.

~Arts/Crafts

~Wood Working

~Outdoor Summer/Winter sports

~Use of Machinery

~Outdoor Activities/Adventures

~Welding

~Working with Animals

~Community Events and Activities

~Volunteering

~Social Activities

~Cooking/Baking

~Nutrition Planning

~Sports

~Others interests of the clients