Therapy on horseback

Children can learn to walk, talk and gain confidence with Rolling Ridge Riding, according to founder Kathryn Davis. The organization just completed its riding season on Saturday with the Rolling Ridge Round-Up, a ceremony in which riders are recognized for participation in the program.

Around 250 people came out to support the group by giving donations, eating barbeque from Debbie’s Restaurant in Stoneville, and browsing for items during a yard sale. Davis said she was thankful for everyone who came out and the volunteers who keep the riders riding.

“We ended up raising over $17,000 so far, and the money keeps coming in,” she said. “God is good, and he really keeps looking after us. He knows how much money it takes for us to keep going.”

Combined with a grant from the Reidsville Area Foundation, Davis said she’s confident Rolling Ridge will be meeting its expenses for the coming year.

The organization is currently running at maximum occupancy, with 47 riders and about 40 volunteers. The children who ride are given free therapy on horseback with licensed occupational, physical and speech therapists from Morehead Memorial Hospital. Teachers from Rockingham County Schools also come out and volunteer their time.

“Everyone at Rolling Ridge is a volunteer; we have no salaried workers,” Davis said. “Every cent of the money we raise goes toward keeping the program going. We always have a steady influx of riders every year.”

Parents who came to the Round-Up Saturday afternoon at the Rockingham County Agricultural Center couldn’t rave enough about what Rolling Ridge has done for their children. Reidsville resident Carla Gress has two children in the program. She said both have benefited greatly from therapy on horseback.

“My daughter Myiah has a mitochondrial disorder that affects her muscle tone and she’s had a feeding tube in the past,” Gress said. “Since she started riding, her feeding tube has come out, it’s helped her with her confidence and she’s made a lot of friends. Riding has helped her become so much more independent and confident in herself. She’s overcome so much.”

Gress has also met other parents with similar stories, and she said they can talk to each other and relate to their challenges. Melinda Smith is another parent in the program with a 9-year-old daughter who used to walk with braces. Gress and Smith said they have become great friends through their shared experiences at Rolling Ridge.

“It’s so great for my daughter and me to have a support system through the parents and other children at Rolling Ridge,” Smith said. “My daughter no longer has to use her braces, and her overall physical and emotional health is just better. The therapists here are awesome, and I still can’t believe how much this works.”

Davis said she’s witnessed a number of success stories throughout the years that wouldn’t have been possible without the support the organization receives from the community, the parents and the volunteers.

To find out more about Rolling Ridge Riding, or to make a donation, visit www.rollingridgeriding.com or call (336) 349-4702.