The Foothills Lions Club’s efforts to improve the social and moral welfare of the community continued with a recent $5,000 donation to the Opening Gaits Therapeutic Riding Society.
Based out of a private barn in DeWinton, Opening Gaits has provided horse riding classes for hundreds of special needs riders in the Foothills since 1998.
The non-profit runs classes for children, youth and adults eight months of the year. The clients all come to Opening Gaits with special needs, be it physical, mental or emotional.
The operation, which includes indoor and outdoor arenas, is set up to enable wheelchair users to ride due to specialized ramps and equipment.
The classes focus on balance, core strength, motor skills and social skills. The qualified instructors change the class formats weekly to include new challenges.
Opening Gaits currently has seven horses that are matched to riders’ ability, size and temperament. The horses are trained to deal with sudden noises, movements and, of course, to be calm around wheelchairs.
Opening Gaits is a non-profit society and is constantly fundraising to keep this much-needed and utilized program running. Donations can be made at openinggaits.ca or arranged via email at [email protected].
The Foothills Lions Club supports many local initiatives, including schools and student programs, sports activities and clubs, seniors, food banks, first responders and more.
The Lions meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Diamond Valley Legion at 7 p.m. The club is constantly looking for new members who are service minded and want to give back to the community.
