“Sometimes our riders cannot communicate verbally very well, and to watch them be able to communicate when we want to start walking or trotting is incredibly rewarding. Sometimes they’ve even spoken their first words on the horse.”
Fern Bonchek, Executive Director
PO Box 1033
Bloomington, IN 47402
Phone: (812) 336-279
People and Animal Learning Services (PALS) provides animal assisted activities such as therapeutic horseback riding, hippotherapy, animal care and pet encounter therapy to children and adults with physical, learning, cognitive or emotional disabilities, as well as to at-risk youth.
PALS serves individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities. All PALS riders are carefully evaluated by a medical professional and/or a NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor to ensure that the most appropriate education and therapy plan is developed to meet specific physical, cognitive and therapeutic needs. Depending on each student’s needs and abilities, rider’s lessons last 30-45 minutes.