The children can achieve their personal development goals in a natural environment and in loving contact with the animals. Horses are important companions who react sensitively to the children's needs and promote motor and social skills.
"Tito" - the new four-legged therapist
The newest member of the Caritas Integrative Riding Centre in St. Isidor is "Tito", a specially trained, child-loving Hungarian small horse. Every week, around 120 children and young people experience the horses as therapists and friends. With Tito, there are now nine therapy horses and a donkey called Fridolin. They support children with various impairments, whether by stabilising their posture, improving their balance or simply by providing a calming presence. The effect of horse therapy is reflected in its success and the steadily increasing demand - last year alone there were 1,200 therapy sessions.
Living responsibility through Sparkasse Oberösterreich
"Tito's" efforts are made possible by a generous donation from Sparkasse Oberösterreich and its majority shareholder, Anteilsverwaltung Allgemeine Sparkasse.
Stefanie Huber, General Director of Sparkasse Oberösterreich, emphasises: "We bear responsibility for our society, especially for people with disabilities. The riding centre in St. Isidor does a great job and Tito will complement the team perfectly."
Gerald Gutmayer, Chairman of the Share Management Board, also emphasises the importance of equine therapy and stresses support for the project, as it makes an important contribution to children and young people.
Improved infrastructure for the animals too
Thanks to the donation, the St. Isidor facility will not only be able to expand its services, but also improve its infrastructure.
Caritas Director Franz Kehrer is grateful: "Thanks to this generous donation, even more children and young people will experience the positive effects of horse therapy in the future. In addition, we can improve the stable and paddock area in St. Isidor to meet the horses' needs for exercise and exercise even better. The support of Sparkasse Oberösterreich is invaluable to us."