Children and Horses United in Movement or C.H.U. M. Therapeutic Riding Inc. brings to the mid-Michigan area both the old and the new. A new program with old friends. Our name was designed to honor a faithful equine friend who has been in service to therapeutic riding since 1980. Chum, Bonnie DePue’s friend and companion for nearly 30 years has introduced many a child and adult to the world of horses and the gifts these magnificent animals offer.
Bonnie DePue is also an old friend of therapeutic riding. She has been instructing since 1982. She is certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). She has worked with physical and occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and psychologists using the horse in treatment. Bonnie has spent over a decade learning about the use of the horse in medical treatment (hippotherapy) and is an occupational therapist herself.
During her years of experience, she has had many roles. She has chaired national, state, and local committees in the promotion of therapeutic riding. She continues to be active in the areas of research and ongoing education in the medical community and the public at large. Bonnie is committed to quality and the client-centered approach to providing services in either therapeutic riding or hippotherapy treatment sessions.
What We Offer
C.H.U.M. Therapeutic Riding Inc. offers the opportunity to share the world of horses with individuals with and without disabilities of all ages. We are a NARHA premier accredited center and our services are founded on their standards and guidelines.
* Therapeutic and recreational
* Riding lessons on specially trained horses
* Holiday and summer horse camps
* Riding and training clinics
* T.T.E.A.M. Training clinics
* 4-H club activities
* Horse shows and special events
Research opportunities in the areas of
* Physical therapy
* Occupational therapy
* Speech and language
* Mental health
* Human/animal bond
Where We Are Going
The future will be exciting, whatever it holds, but these are some of our dreams.
* C.H.U.M. owned therapeutic riding facility with therapy services clinic attached
* Bunkhouse facilities for respite care and family outings for members with disabilities
* Multi-disciplinary hippotherapy program
* Health care affiliations
* University affiliations
* Scholarship program
C.H.U.M. Therapeutic Riding, Inc. Business Statistics 2004
Clients:
The number of clients has steadily grown and continues to grow. Calls come in every week, new contracts are being discussed and hippotherapy services are rapidly expanding.
* 18 riders three days after the decision to start my own program September 1999, proposed building of an indoor arena specifically for us
* 45 riders November 1999
* Grand Opening of indoor arena with 65 riders December 1, 1999
* 87 riders through June of 2000, maximum load while in school for OT degree
* January 2001, 6 months of internship and all parents continue on revised schedule until June of 2001
* Since graduation, current enrollment is at 145 rider per week including two contracts with two different schools and referrals from several rehabilitation and
school therapists.
* Interested clients continue to call at a rate of 2 to 5 per week.
Number of clients served:
Cost:
Cost to clients was arrived at by current costs for like services in the area and knowledge of 20 years of running like programming. The cost of $15 has been the norm for ten years and we started there. After two years of running the program, the need to increase the costs was brought to the parents and was met with good reception. NO clients were lost due to cost increases.
Cost to clients:
* Therapeutic riding $25 per session per client/registration fee $35
* Group sessions is $20 per client per session
* Hippotherapy session $75 for 45 minutes of therapy time with licensed therapist
Horses:
The horses we started with were those owned by myself that were appropriate for the program. After many years spent in this industry with a good reputation for care and integrity, many more have since been donated to the program with several more available to us to use in the community. As the program has recently moved to our home where the program horses are stabled, the logistics of transporting the number and variety of horses required for daily lessons is no longer an issue.
