Megan Curtis-Agarwal has cerebral-palsy, a medical condition that prevents her from running and jumping. When presented with the opportunity to ride horses, she expressed doubt.
“At her first session, she was afraid she could not ride a horse, scared that she would fall and hurt herself,” her father recalls. “Now with more than three years of riding, she feels so much more confident and comfortable riding Smokey.”
Dr. Anupam Agarwal, UAB’s Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, and Dr. Lisa M. Curtis, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Research and Training in the Graduate School, can attest to the success of Special Equestrians, a nonprofit supported by the UAB Benevolent Fund. Their daughter, Megan, began her first session with Special Equestrians three years ago, where she met her horse, Smokey.
Special Equestrians understood the power that horses could have for enriching the lives of individuals with impaired mobility, forming a bond where the horse and rider communicate and function as one. Their mission is “to enrich the lives of people with physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges through a relationship with a horse,” serving the Birmingham community since 1982.
Over 100 riders a year benefit from the opportunities that Special Equestrians offers with guidance from certified instructors and volunteers. Participants learn to care for and ride horses through activities such as barn visits and grooming, and along the way, riders develop strength, coordination, and confidence as they become familiar with their horse.
For Megan, Smokey brought a newfound sense of independence. When Smokey trots beneath her, Megan experiences a sense of freedom that she describes as feeling like flying.
This developed confidence extends beyond her riding skills, Dr. Agarwal noticed. “She has come out of her shell, become more gregarious and independent.”
Dr. Curtis described Megan speaking at a fundraising gala for Special Equestrians, where she spoke about her life with cerebral palsy joking with the audience and explaining that she had broken her toe just a few days before the event.
Having witnessed the opportunities the organization provided for their daughter, Drs. Agarwal and Curtis contribute to Special Equestrians so that other families can experience the same transformative impact of therapeutic riding.
Join Drs. Agarwal and Curtis and supporters of Special Equestrians by donating through the UAB Benevolent Fund. Your donation helps provide the daily resources needed to care for and train horses, employ certified instructors, maintain safe facilities, and ensure that families who may struggle to afford these services can still experience the transformative opportunities Special Equestrians offers—because everyone deserves the range of positive benefits that riding a horse like Smokey can bring.