SIRE, Houston’s Therapeutic Riding Centers

Nearly 400 people blazed into the Houstonian Hotel for this year’s SIRE Trailblazer Luncheon held last week. President of the SIRE Board of Directors Richard “Whitey” White and Executive Director Jimm Williams provided the audience with background on Houston’s Therapeutic Riding Centers and the positive impact of therapeutic riding on physical and cognitive abilities. Guests also heard testimonials from clients Steven Schultz, Derrick Perkins, Nathaniel Hunter and family members about how SIRE has enriched their lives. The luncheon was free to guests and serves as a fund raising event with no minimum donation requirement.

SIRE provides programs for individuals who have physical and cognitive disabilities, sensory impairments and psycho-social disorders. SIRE works with its clients to improve motor skills, balance and posture while stimulating the cardiovascular system and normalizing muscle tone. The client also experiences the three-dimensional movement of the horse, similar to a human’s gait, which is difficult to duplicate in a clinical setting.

SIRE, Houston’s Therapeutic Equestrian Centers, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit therapeutic horseback riding organization which uses the spirit and movement of the horse to benefit people with disabilities. SIRE has been active in the Houston area for 26 years and currently serves clients at sites in Hockley, Spring and Fort Bend County. SIRE is a premier accredited center with NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association). For more information about SIRE, call 281.356.7558 or visit www.sire-htec.org.