FAQ's For Becoming A Client
We serve children and adults, ages 4 and older, with any physical, mental or emotional diagnosis. You must have a formal diagnosis from a medical healthcare professional to participate in either of the therapeutic programs! A diagnosis is not required for the Equine Discovery program.
One single form is to be completed by a medical healthcare professional. All participants in Wings of Hope's therapeutic programs have a diagnosed disability or challenge by a medical healthcare professional.
This form can be completed by any licensed healthcare professional such as but not limited to your primary care physician, psychiatrist, pediatrician, neurologist, counselor, etc.
A wide variety of disabilities and challenges are served through the programs at Wings of Hope. Such as but not limited to: Autism, Bi-Polar, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Epilepsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Premature Birth, PTSD, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, and so much more.
The only age restriction for clients to become an equestrian is you must be 4 or older to begin. There is no maximum age restriction.
Riders participating in therapeutic riding must be 199 lbs. or lighter.
Sessions are $40.00 per session once per week for therapeutic program sessions. Applications for Financial Aid are available upon request and available for individuals who meet our financial assistance criteria!
At this time, therapeutic riding and equine facilitated learning is considered recreational and not accepted as billable through insurance. However, a number of other resources are available to families through state & local agencies. Financial information is discussed in further detail during the initial evaluation meet & greet.
Participants will need to bring water and wear closed-toe shoes, tall socks, long pants, and appropriate outerwear condusive to being outdoors. Riding or cowboy boots are not required. We have a few available in select sizes to borrow.
An ASTM/SEI equestrian riding helmet is mandatory for all therapeutic riding lessons. A helmet is made available for all participants. Clients may use one of the provided helmets or use their own ASTM/SEI equestrian riding helmet which needs to be less than 5 years old from the manufacturer date located inside the helmet. Any helmet involved in an incident must be disposed of.
Yes we can! All programs are tailored to all abilities. For therapeutic riding we have a ramp to accommodate the horse and rider team. From there, our horses, staff, and volunteers are specially trained to safely assist or lift riders onto the horse.
We operate October through May pending weather, with lessons Monday-Thursday morning, afternoon and evening. We are closed on Saturday & Sunday. Friday is reserved for Field Trips and Team Building.
You must commit to the same day/time weekly. Applications are accepted year round.
Modified opportunities are provided June - September during the peak of Texas summer heat.
If a client is unable to attend their scheduled lesson, 24-hour advance notice is required to help ensure volunteer retention. If the client has 3 no calls/no shows, they will be removed from the program. Clients with 8 absences in a year may be removed from the program or placed on the waiting list.
If you are running late for your lesson you must call and let the office know. There is a 15 minute grace varience to accomodate special circumstances. If you are not able to be actively participating in your lesson prior to 15 after you will be canceled for the day.
Wings of Hope is located just South of Fort Worth . We are aproximatley 25 minutes from the I-35/820 mixmaster.
We are located 2 miles West of I-35 just off of FM 917 within 3 miles of Burleson city limits.
Our physical address is 4200 County Road 806 Cleburne, Tx 76031.
The evaluation is a no cost meet & greet at Wings of Hope to discuss your goals, abilities, challenges, any concerns, scheduling, etc. The prospective client and family will join a staff member at the barn for a tour of the facility and to meet horses. You will not ride during an evaluation. Evaluations typically last an hour.
There are both mounted and ground-based activity opportunities. During the evaluation process we will help determine which program is a best fit for your goals and your needs.
We are firm believers in collaborations that further impact our community. If you represent an agency that is interested in partnering with us we encourage you to reach out to our office staff at office@wingsofhopehorses.org to discuss pricing, scheduling, evaluations, availability, etc.
Email office@wingsofhopehorses.org for questions about getting started.
To start the process, you must complete an application which consists of completing forms with goals, abilities, challenges etc. to be completed by the client or parent/guardian.
There is one form to be completed and signed by a medical healthcare professional.
After your application is completed in entirety, return it to programs@wingsofhopehorses.org.
Once all the completed paperwork has been received, a meet & greet evaluation will be set up at Wings of Hope.
1) Email office@wingsofhopehorses.org with any questions about getting started.
2) Complete the application with signed physician form and return to programs@wingsofhopehorses.org.
2) A staff member will call you and set up an evaluation.
3) Complete evaluation and discuss scheduling.
4) Clients are added to the schedule after the completion of an evaluation pending schedule/volunteer availability.
To start the process and to get started please contact our office at programs@wingsofhopehorses.org with any questions.
Next steps will include setting up an appointment for an evaluation with the client and family at no cost to discuss the application contents , scheduling, and availability.
