Horse-drawn carriages might seem a little old-fashioned to some people, but to the Special Strides program at Congress Hill Farm in Monroe Township they are a useful innovation.
Staff members at the nonprofit organization are raring to go for the Joseph Farrelly Therapeutic Driving Program, which involves a cart attached to a horse in order to offer therapeutic driving activities for varied populations.
“It has been a dream of mine for many reasons,” Special Strides co-director Laurie Landy said. “It gives you a feeling of empowerment and control, and it’s fun. It’s invigorating, it’s exciting [and] it’s challenging.”
Though Landy and co-director Susie Rehr were aware of the benefits of therapeutic driving, they were unable to initiate such a program because of the cost of a carriage, according to Special Strides spokeswoman Karen Goldberg.
With the help of Stacey Farrelly, the widow of Capt. Joseph Farrelly, a New York City firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, the driving program will be off and running. Farrelly, who has worked as a special education aide in the New York City school system, has been a longtime supporter of Special Strides. The seed money she donated this time, however, is a tribute to her late husband.
“He loved children. Children made him happy,” Landy said. “His wife felt that she wanted to do something to carry on his name.”
Joseph Farrelly began his career as a volunteer for the Old Bridge Fire Department Engine 1. He and Stacey provided foster care for children, a number of whom were babies with crack addiction or AIDS.
“[The Farrellys] were just incredibly giving,” Landy said.
Described by Goldberg as an outstanding husband and father, Farrelly was an avid outdoorsman with a love for his community. It seems fitting, then, that his namesake program will help Special Strides serve a larger portion of the community.
The therapeutic horseback riding center uses horses to help children with cerebral palsy, autism and other sensory and motor conditions.
With the newly expanded offerings, the center will be able to accommodate adults with head traumas; cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy; veterans coming back from war; individuals with multiple sclerosis; and other adults who can benefit from the therapy.
The driving program will also allow children who weigh more than 130 pounds to continue participating in Special Strides’ therapeutic offerings. Before the initiation of the driving program, the cut-off weight was necessary because of the horse size and staff limitations, said Landy, who is an occupational therapist.
“That’s what the whole thing is about – to expand our program, but also to open it up to adults,” Goldberg said.
According to Landy, the interaction with and control of a horse results in the rewards of physical, cognitive, social and emotional well-being, as well as a feeling of greater self-confidence. For those without mobility, the driving experience allows for sensations of motion, she said. Taking part in the actual driving builds upper-body strength and helps with cognitive abilities such as learning directions, Landy said.
“There are all different ways horses are used as an assist for therapeutic reasons,” Landy said.
Congress Hill Farm is at 118 Federal Road, Monroe Township (outside Englishtown). For more information, call 732-446-0945 or visit www.specialstrides. com.