Tarleton State University offers many hands-on experiences to students seeking outdoor classroom learning. One of those opportunities being Tarleton’s Equine Assisted Therapeutic riding program (TREAT.) TREAT partners with local community members and students to teach Texans the benefits of equine based therapy.
The program began in 1994 with an idea. Local teachers at Stephenville ISD hoped to get children out of the classroom for a “rodeo day,” from this idea the Special Kids rodeo evolved. Shortly after, a Tarleton graduate student sought out Dr. David Snyder to help with a graduate project on equine assisted therapy. The TREAT program was born shortly after in the Spring of 1995.
The TREAT Program goes hand in hand with a lab for Animal Science course 3340. There are no prerequisites for the course and it offers 3 credit hours. The course allows students to learn about different diagnoses and provides more information on how equine based therapeutic riding can promote benefits for physical, psychological and social needs.
Currently, the university funds Professional Association Therapeutic Horsemanship directors with a nine-month contract and with that entails the use of the equine center, arena and stalls. The program is largely volunteer based, and accepts more than just monetary donations. The TREAT program is constantly seeking new horses, tack and equipment. It is $10 per ride and scholarships are offered in efforts to make the program accessible to all.
For more information regarding the program, please call (254) 968-9847 or email treat@tarleton.edu.
Full article on TREAT can be found in: https://issuu.com/justin.redfin/docs/ecl_summer22_web