King’s Stables, an equine therapy program in Chelsea, needs your help! 3 things to know + how to help them build a new barn.
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King’s Stables, an equine therapy program based outside of Birmingham, is doing something really special. Read about their program—Plus, find out how you can get involved and help them raise money for a new barn!
Learn More About King’s Stables
1. Who They Are
King’s Stables is a fully operational farm offering therapeutic riding programs located near Chelsea, Alabama. They are a derivative of King’s Home—a statewide non-profit organization which provides essential services to abused youth, moms and children fleeing domestic violence. They operate 22 residential group homes on six campuses and serve all 67 counties of the state.
2. Who They Serve
At King’s Stables, they serve three main populations:
- First and foremost, they provide equine assisted therapy to all of the youth that live at King’s Home.
- Secondly, they serve outside non-profit organizations with programs similar to King’s Home free of charge (ie: eating disorder groups, women involved in human trafficking and more.) And they even take educational field trips with their miniature horse.
- Finally, they offer traditional therapeutic riding for individuals in the community with physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities.
3. What They Do
Their mission is to help all participants improve important skills like communication, problem solving, independence and confidence all through equine therapy. Equine therapy, or horse therapy, is simply an interactive therapy where patients can work with horses. And it’s more than just horseback riding. It involves grooming, feeding, leading a horse and more.
According to the King’s Stables site: ”Horses help teach people how to express feelings, handle problems, and open the lines of communication. Riders not only experience the joy a horse can bring, but also work on skills such as balance, strength, independence, and coordination.“
“It is amazing to see the instant connection between an individual and the horse. A horse can teach anyone to live in the moment, gain confidence, trust and build healthy relationships no matter what that person has been through.”
Alison Kuhn, Program Director
King’s Stables is growing… and fast!
Over the last few years, they’ve hit a major growth spurt. What began as a program for King’s Home youth only has expanded to a program with 150 regular clients. And now they are running out of room.
Their goal? To raise enough money by the end of 2019 for a new barn. Some of their other needs include having:
- a stall for each program horse
- a safe place for ground lessons for large groups
- handicap accessible facilities for clients
But they can’t do it all on their own. That’s where we come in.
How to Help
For Alison, any contribution towards their goal counts.
“Whether it’s a lemonade stand, car wash, corporate donation or an event sponsorship—every penny helps us to reach the goal!”
Can’t donate? Consider volunteering. They even have an “adopt a horse” program—a family friendly volunteer option. This allows families, even those with small children, to come help care for a horse by cleaning stalls, filling up water buckets, grooming and more.
If you’re interested in helping or donating, contact them:
- By phone at (205) 253-1187.
- Through email on their website.
- Or on the King’s Stables Facebook.
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