Liberty Lutheran Services Visits Ivy Hill

On February 23rd, a group of students from Liberty Lutheran Services came to visit Ivy Hill. Liberty Lutheran Services is an organization which brings a rich history of faith and tradition to the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Since 2001, Liberty Lutheran Services has offered an array of services including social services to children, youth, families, refugees, immigrant communities, and senior care services. Senior care services include living, rehabilitation, nursing, in-home and hospice care. Liberty Lutheran Services strives to build and strengthen families and create caring communities.

The students visiting Ivy Hill were here to learn about how they are model citizens in the community and how they can affect individuals within their community. While here, Ivy Hill ran an educational seminar to teach them about Ivy Hill and what we do. They got the chance to watch several therapeutic riding sessions as well as several Hippotherapy sessions. They also learned about caring for horses and how involved it is. They helped with some grooming and tacking to prepare the horses for sessions. While tacking, they learned about the different types of tack and equipment we use in our lessons for our students based on their needs. They also learned about the daily barn chores and feeding the horses & got to try their hand at both.

They participated in a volunteer seminar where they had the chance to learn about leading and side aiding during student lessons. They also went over tacking of the horse - everything a volunteer needs to know to volunteer with the lessons at our program.

Then they got the chance to ride one of our horses to feel what our riders go through when they first start something new. They learned about how much balance and trunk control is required and how the tension in their body reflects on how the horse moves.

They asked many great questions. It was a valueable opportunity for them to glimpse what it is like to not only volunteer but to participate in a therapeutic riding program.

For more information on the Liberty Lutheran Services, please visit their website at http://www.libertylutheran.org/

If you work with an organization like Liberty Lutheran Services & would like to bring a group to Ivy Hill, please contact Megan Strychowski at (215) 822-2515 ext. 1 or through email at mstrychowski@ivyhillequestrian.org