Revolutionizing pediatric outpatient therapy through hippotherapy, The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. is making great strides in the progress of their patients’ growth and development through the use of horses in speech, physical, and occupational therapy.
“What started with one therapist, two horses and a handful of kids has grown to a 50-person staff, 17 horses, and we serve over 300 children every year,” says Kathy Pelletier, the executive director of Children’s TherAplay, who has been working there since January of 2019.
In 2001 Children’s TherAplay was started after a local occupational therapist approached William Craig Dobbs and asked if she could rent a couple of horses to help treat children with disabilities. Moved by the benefits of hippotherapy, philanthropist and businessman Dobbs created The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc.
Children’s TherAplay is an outpatient therapy facility in Carmel where licensed physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, incorporate horses in a child’s therapy. The therapist uses the patterns and speeds of the horse’s movement, rhythm and repetition to achieve therapeutic goals in a safe and caring environment.
“Many people think we are a place where children with disabilities can ride horses and develop strength and skills, but we are so much more than that,” says Pelletier. “We provide skilled, evidence-based therapy interventions, we accept all major medical insurance including Indiana Medicaid, and we have been bringing transformative growth and development to children in central Indiana for over 23 years.”
With a background in oncology and fundraising, Pelletier fell in love instantly while touring the facility during her job interview. “Children’s TherAplay is such a happy place where kids feel strong, confident and independent, sitting high on top of their therapy horse,” she says. “Children with complex medical conditions have seen so much growth in development, speech and communication, behavior, and self-regulation, and many children are now thriving at school and in their home lives. It is amazing to see the impact our services can have on the entire family.”
“Half of the therapy sessions are conducted in the newly renovated therapy clinic, and the other half takes place in our horse arena with one of the therapy horses,” she adds. “Therapists meet with parents before and after each session to share information to ensure their ability to work together and improve each child’s outcomes in therapy. To meet the increasing demands of central Indiana, the Dobbs and Towriss Community Engagement Center is slated to open in 2025 and will provide additional space for therapy, and support collaboration and engagement to serve families better.
“Each therapy session conducted is dynamic and customized to the needs and goals of that child,” says Pelletier. “Physical therapy focuses on strength development, coordination, balance, and helping the child develop skills that help keep them safe in their daily life. Occupational therapy has a broad focus on developing each child’s abilities to perform the activities of daily life, eating, sleeping, grooming, playing, socializing, etcetera. Occupational therapy also helps children learn how to regulate their behavior and process their emotions to help them adapt better to social situations. Speech therapy helps a child develop communication skills, which can be verbal, through an assisted communication device, or sign language. All our therapies work together to improve the overall health and well-being of each child, so that they can lead more independent futures.”
Safety is a priority at Children’s TherAplay. The staff undergoes extensive training, and the barn and therapy teams are in constant collaboration. There are 17 horses used at Children’s TherAplay and each horse goes through a trial period to ensure they are a good fit for hippotherapy. These horses are either owned by Children’s TherAplay or are care-leased where Children’s TherAplay has maintenance ownership of the horse in covering their feed, board, and routine veterinary care in exchange for being used in the therapy.
To become a patient, a child needs a prescription from a primary care physician or a specialist to receive the therapy services. Most insurance companies will pay for physical, occupational and speech therapy for children with a medical diagnosis. All major insurances and Medicaid are accepted to ensure families have access to this unique medical service.
To learn more, visit childrenstheraplay.org, where you can find parent testimonies and information about physical, occupational and speech therapy, the therapists and staff, horses, and other parent resources.