Connecticut News
Connecticut State Chair
Marie Aparo is Instructor Coordinator for Manes & Motions Therapeutic Riding Center located in Middletown CT. She is also a PATH Intl. advanced instructor, & PATH Intl. mentor. She lives in New Britain, CT, with her husband, Steve, and three sons. She truly loves the field of therapeutic riding because of the magic it creates. She has been involved since 1999 and became certified in 2002. Her favorite activities include trail riding with her horse, Apache, hiking, biking, skiing and just about any activity outdoors.
Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center Updates
Jeanna Pellino, Program Director
As I look across the farm at paddocks filled with snow, it’s the perfect time to sit down with a hot cup of tea and plan our Spring session. We anticipate beginning spring session mid-March, with the cooperation of Mother Nature. With additional resources falling into place such as a solid core of dedicated instructors and a cute little Connemara just finishing his trial period, we look forward to a period of continued slow and steady growth for the program throughout the year. The past few months have been quite exciting immersing ourselves in the community – bringing awareness and forming relationships with local families, schools and residential facilities interested in participating in our programs.
And our efforts have been supported through the generosity of the community in a number of ways. We were recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Saunders Fund / CT Community Foundation. Combined with an equally generous gift from an anonymous supporter, and a very strong response from local adults and teens eager to support our mission through volunteerism, we are filled with much gratitude. To show our appreciation, we will be hosting a number of Community Enrichment programs. The first session will be “The Benefits of Therapeutic Riding & EAA.” This learning opportunity will be held at the local library and free to the general public.
The spring also brings an exciting project to the center – a collaborative effort between Hidden Acres and Quinnipiac College’s Occupational Therapy students to design a Sensory Trail to benefit our participants. A number of sensory stations will be constructed along our trail to enhance participants’ experiences on horseback. For more information on Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center, you may contact us at (203) 723-0633 or at
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. Wishing all our friends in the industry a wonderful spring session and we look forward to connecting with you at the Region 1 Conference in Vermont this April.
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