If you were to drive down Jacobsburg Road in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, right at dawn, you’d spot a humble sign reading Equi-librium; behind it, 18 rolling acres of farmland just waking up for the day. Horse care staff would be arriving to prepare the stables with fresh hay, water, and bedding before fetching the horses from their pastures, which line the farm’s perimeter. It’s a quiet and unassuming routine, but by 8:30 am, the farm is transformed, abuzz with activity that has been described for over 40 years as nothing less than magical.
Equi-librium is a nonprofit organization that has called the Lehigh Valley “home” for over a decade but whose history dates back to a collaboration between Monroe County organizations in the 1980s. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide individuals the opportunity to reach their highest potential through the benefits of horse-related activities. However, many close to the organization would point to its unofficial tagline, “healing through horses,” to illustrate what exactly happens behind the Equi-librium gates. As the Lehigh Valley’s premier provider of equine-assisted services, colloquially known as therapeutic riding, Equi-librium harnesses the healing power of horses to help individuals of all ages with physical, developmental, and behavioral challenges and disabilities.
Equine-assisted services are not limited only to therapeutic riding. According to the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International, equine-assisted services can refer to a variety of services in which professionals incorporate horses to benefit people. There are many cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits of working with horses through riding, therapeutic carriage driving, and unmounted programs, especially for people with disabilities. Simply experiencing the horse’s motion can be therapeutic, building flexibility, muscle strength, and balance. Additional benefits can include increased confidence, problem-solving skills, independence, decreased anxiety, cortisol levels, and feelings of loneliness.
Programs at Equi-librium, a PATH Int’l. Premier Accredited Center is as diverse as the individuals who participate in it, but every program is based on the connection between humans and horses. Equi-librium serves approximately 250 unique individuals annually through its weekly programs; over 70% of these individuals present with two or more diagnoses, the most common including Autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, Down Syndrome, and mental health diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
In addition to weekly participants, Equi-librium offers educational opportunities to over 1,000 public school students annually as a PA EITC-approved program. Other specialized programs include collaborations with other local nonprofits to provide services to individuals who have experienced trauma, such as domestic violence. One growing program is Silver Saddles, which is specifically geared toward adults over 55 years of age with physical, cognitive, and social-emotional goals. The Silver Saddles program may include riding but employs unmounted activities such as grooming and caring for the horses.
While participants are reaching milestones and experiencing life-changing outcomes on the farm, other organization members are hitching up the truck and trailer to bring the benefits of equine-assisted services on the road, along with the organization’s traveling miniature horses. Standing only 32-38 inches tall, these horses are specially trained to visit schools, nursing homes, and events, bridging transportation barriers for potential program participants.
While Equi-librium’s miniature therapy horses are perhaps the most visible in the community, the horses on the farm range in age, size, breed, and training to meet the diverse needs of those who attend programs. Horses are carefully selected and trained for equine-assisted programs; current Equi-librium horses include a retired police horse, two former renaissance faire performers, and a handful of horses who have retired from competition circuits. To keep the horses physically and mentally conditioned, Equi-librium employs an equine care team to maintain their health and wellness.
Volunteers also assist in the horses’ daily care and play a crucial role in programs. While lessons are led by PATH Int’l. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors and volunteers are vital to lesson operations. They lead and prepare the horses for lessons and remain with the riders to provide physical or social-emotional assistance. Nearly 300 volunteers make a difference at Equi-librium annually, with over 80 unique volunteer needs every week. Volunteers also contribute to facilities maintenance, community outreach, and special events.
Special events, including the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, Lehigh Valley Polo, are imperative to the programs and operations of Equi-librium. Maintaining the pastures, barns, and program spaces is not without cost, especially when combined with horse care, specialized adaptive equipment, and staff training and certifications. Corporate sponsorships, along with tailgate spot and ticket purchases for Lehigh Valley Polo, allow Equi-librium to offer these one-of-a-kind services to the Lehigh Valley community while keeping costs manageable for program participants and their families. This event, held on September 14 this year at Braden Airpark, brings in over 700 attendees for food, shopping, and divot stomping. Additional funding to Equi-librium comes through private grants and charitable donations.
If you are interested in visiting the farm or becoming involved in the mission of Equi-librium, please visit www.equi-librium.org or contact Jessie Shappell, Executive Director, at jessie@equi-librium.org.
