Boots to Grasses Therapeutic Horsemanship Program is a 501c-3 organization serving our North Central Ohio participants in Berlin Heights, Ohio. Therapeutic Horsemanship has provided social, educational, and recreational opportunities to individuals facing challenges for more than a century. Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies – EAAT - is a therapeutic modality that incorporates equine activities and/or the equine environment. There is no "standard" set of exercises used in EAAT. At Boots to Grasses, therapeutic activities are specifically designed for each client’s requirements and goals. By utilizing the special bond between humans and horses, Therapeutic Horsemanship can benefit participants of all ability levels. The discipline of Therapeutic Horsemanship encompasses not simply riding horses but also working to form a bond with the horse on the ground. Boots to Grasses encourages participation of any person - regardless of age or challenge being faced. Classes are taught in a private or group format by a PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certified instructor with a Bachelor’s of Science in Equine Studies and Therapeutic Horsemanship from Lake Erie College - in conjunction with trained volunteers.
We are proud to be a certified provider for the Erie, Huron, and Lorain County Boards of Developmental Disabilities. Boots to Grasses also works with groups from Ability Works, Head Start, Help Me Grow, Christie Lane Industries, and The Link. Our enrolled riders enjoy weekly horsemanship sessions on our Berlin Heights Farm. BtG also strives to provide further enrichment and bonding activities for our “BtG Family”! We provide much needed inclusive events with understanding and accommodations for our friends with different needs - such as - The BtG Easter Egg Hunt, Quarry Hill Apple Picking Adventure, movie theater trips, Christmas Cookie Decorating Extravaganza, the annual springtime visit to Equine Affaire in Columbus, and our always greatly anticipated Annual Field Trip (Washington DC for 2024). We are also happy to report that from 2017- the present, BtG is a youth program site with Ability Works. Our Ability Works Youth Groups spend 12 weeks with us each summer learning and working in barn and equine management. In addition, The Ability Works Adult Groups visit once per week all year long to help in the barn and get in lots of horse hugs. Our Sensory Barnyard Program will also be a host for the inaugural year for the Christie Lane Industries Youth Summer Job Training Program. The 2023 Annual Boots to Grasses Easter Egg Hunt welcomed 92 special egg hunters and their families for a ton of ability friendly fun! In addition, we shared our vision and/or collaborated with the Berlin Heights Historical Society, Nexxt Level Fit Academy, Firelands Hospital Auxiliary, Kiwanis, The Daughters of the American Revolution, VFW Post 2529-Sandusky, Castera Charles – Survive and Thrive, and the City of Sandusky Parks and Recreation Department.
The newest addition to our program is the Boots to Grasses Sensory Barnyard. The Barnyard is a functioning miniature farm that is a learning environment for the growing Boots to Grasses Family. Housed in a smaller scale barn sited on the east side of the Boots to Grasses property, The Sensory Barnyard gives individuals with challenges in our community and area school districts the opportunity to learn job skills in animal care, horticulture and gardening, product development, and financial planning. The residents of the current Sensory Barnyard structure are our three miniature horses and program ambassadors – Dottie, Chief, and Liberty. The Sensory Barnyard Crew grows and dries herbs and flowers grown on our farm that are mixed and packaged into potpourri. In addition, we produce our own line of 100% soy wax scented candles. Both of our products are available to the public through the generous assistance of Mulberry Creek Herb Farm.
We invite all to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @bootstograsses – and on our website: bootstograsses.org. Our Boots to Grasses Family is always busy on adventures that we share with all our friends on social media!
Sincerely,
Laura Steuk-Mastropaolo
Program Administrator
Boots to Grasses Therapeutic Horsemanship
419-602-0912