Animal Assisted Learning – Hooves, Paws and Claws

Record last updated 2022/07/05 Comment on this info .Update this info

Contact Information

Friends for Tomorrow, Inc.
Contact: Diane Lesnecki Auger, Founder
Email Address: friendsfortomorrow@gmail.com
Phone: 781-259-8909

PO Box 213 Lincoln, MA 01773
Area Served: Northeast

Map Location Animal Assisted Learning - Hooves, Paws and Claws

Narrative

Friends For Tomorrow began in 1994 with one horse and the inspiration to provide physically and emotionally challenged young people with the therapeutic benefits of horseback riding. Founder Diane Lesneski Auger solicited the donation of a horse, a site, and discounted board and feed, and began the program with just three participants in the spring of 1995. By the following fall, the program doubled, welcomed six students, acquired an additional horse and became a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl) Member Center.

Today, the program has grown from that handful of therapeutic horseback riding students on borrowed horses to a flourishing and well respected program serving more than 60 students annually, and includes 30 volunteers and six horses, and has a lengthy waiting list for services. In 2007 we expanded our services by adding Pony Partners, an equine-assisted learning, social and empowerment program for girls between the age of 8 - 11.  In 2011 we added Hooves, Paws & Claws, an animal-assisted learning program. Throughout our growth in program offerings, our core mission remains the same: to enhance the lives of children and young adults who face extraordinary cognitive, physical, emotional, and social challenges.

Service Types

  • After School Programs

Program Type

  • Recreation/Arts/Social and Leisure

Populations Served

  • Amputations
  • Asperger's Syndrome
  • Autism Spectrum
  • Autoimmune Diseases
  • Birth Defects
  • Burns
  • Cancer
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Cochlear Implants
  • DeafBlind
  • Depression
  • Language Impairment
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Mental Illness
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Speech Impairment
  • Stroke

Ages Served

  • 5 - 8
  • 9 - 13
  • 14 - 18

Accessibility Features

  • Accessible Parking
  • Accessible Restrooms

Additional Information

  • Fees: Personal Funds
  • Licensed By: Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International