Opening Gaits Therapeutic Riding Society

Our mission is to provide children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to experience all the physical, social, and emotional benefits of riding on and spending time with a horse.

Our objective is to provide therapeutic riding in an exciting, fun and challenging environment for children and adults with disabilities, allowing them to develop physically, socially and emotionally. Our programs are delivered by instructors who are equine and/or therapeutically trained. We service Calgary, Okotoks and the M.D. of Foothills.

Opening Gaits is a non-profit society in operation since 1998.  Our program focuses on an underserviced portion of the population and teaches therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. All riders are taught essential riding skills by certified therapeutic riding instructors. Riders with various conditions benefit from the motion of the horse by using muscles that are normally difficult for them to engage. This stimulation gently relaxes tight muscles and improves core strength, balance and coordination. In addition, participants improve their memory, focus, mental processing and responsiveness by learning new routines and following instructions. Most importantly, our riders enjoy Opening Gaits because we have fun.