There is reason to be proud! Today TRI has a 23½ acre horse farm in Spring Valley, over 200 active volunteers, a full-time staff of five plus four part-time instructors and nine horses.
“TRI’s mission is to enhance lives by providing high quality and accredited equine-assisted services in a safe, fun, and compassionate environment,” says executive director Stephanie Llacuna. “The vision is to be the premier provider of equine assisted services in the Tri-state. In addition to therapeutic riding lessons, TRI offers summer camps and field trips, and is the Dayton region’s only PATH Premier Accredited Center offering equine assisted counseling programs.”
Llacuna says she’s proud to lead an organization that’s contributing solutions for the mental health crisis that has overwhelmed our community. “We are honored to serve veterans, free of charge, who sacrificed everything to serve our country through our WISH program,” she adds.
How it helps
The mother of a 16-year-old participant who asks to remain anonymous shares her story with our Make a Difference readers. “Our teenaged daughter has ADHD with impacted short-term memory, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts,” she relates. “She has loved horses since she was very young, but with these challenges traditional riding classes were extremely unsuccessful. We would fill out the medical paperwork and explain her diagnosis in great detail with the instructors, yet we would find her alone, crying and terrified in the tack room. From ages 11-14 we could not get her back on a horse, that is until we found TRI. This is our daughter’s second year at the TRI and it has been an amazingly positive experience for her. She takes weekly riding lessons which focuses on confidence building and horsemanship skills.”
This summer TRI added a new small group therapy option called ‘Taking the Reins’. The program is designed for teens struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. “We have seen such progress in the time our child has been at TRI,” says the appreciative mom. " The staff are caring and make a huge impact on these children’s lives. Our daughter is improving every day. Her joy and excitement for life are returning. She is building relationships and her confidence is soaring. In the future she wants to volunteer at TRI to help children that face challenges as she has. We are very thankful we found TRI.”
TRI is always in need of volunteers. “I started looking for a place to volunteer during the pandemic,” says Suzanne Thum of Springboro. “TRI wasn’t having classes at the time, but the barn always needs people to help with keeping stalls clean and that’s where it started! Add in feeding and watering the horses and I was hooked!”
Thum, who has always loved horses and thinks that affection probably stems from watching too many Roy Rogers and Dale Evans films as a kid, says she finds it relaxing to be around the horses. “And the staff and their volunteers are great!”
What they need:
- Paper goods, including toilet paper, paper towels and cups
- Cleaning supplies such as Pine Sol, bleach, toilet cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, glass cleaner, Clorox wipes, Dawn soap
- Office supplies including 8.5-by-11 computer paper, pens, Blue folders, binders, laminating pouches, dry erase markers
- Camp supplies such as plain white T-shirts in various child and adult sizes, acrylic paints, gallon Ziploc baggies, canvases, washable markers, blank fill-in bingo cards, tie dye kits, various stickers, wooden craft picture frames
- Snacks for volunteers such as baked and regular Lay’s Potato Chips Variety Pack, Welch’s fruit snacks, peanut butter crackers, snack-sized pretzels and popcorn
- Cat Care items such as litter, food, flea and tick treatments, and de-wormer
- Equine fly repellent (new)
- Pitchforks
- Bags of Sweet PDZ Stall Refresher
- Greenguard Equine Grazing Muzzles
- Trophies/Ribbons for Student Horse Show
- Folding tables 6-foot (new or used)
- Home Depot, Lowes or Tractor Supply Gift Cards
- Cases of water
- Plastic storage totes (large, lidded)
- Brooms
- 25-horsepower ATV
- Sponsor for Continuing Education Opportunities for Instructors
- Outdoor LED string lights
- Donated veterinary care
To schedule donation deliveries you’re asked to contact Director of Development and Equine Operations Jessamyn Rice at JRice@Triohio.org.
Other ways to help
- Join TRI at their annual fundraiser, the “Stetsons & Sterling Gala” on Saturday, Sept. 9 to learn more about the programs and celebrate the golden anniversary. To purchase tickets or obtain sponsorship information, visit www.triohio.org/stetsonsandsterling.
- TRI needs volunteers to assist with landscaping, farm maintenance, lessons, horse care and office administration. No horse experience necessary! For volunteer info: SSlepicka@triOhio.org.
- Monetary donations can be made at Triohio.org or mailed to: Therapeutic Riding Institute, 3960 Middle Run Road, Spring Valley, OH 45370
- To learn more about TRI’s accredited equine assisted service, please contact Program Director Sam Ingersoll at SIngersoll@TRIOhio.org.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: meredith.moss@coxinc.com.
Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.
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