UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc.
Improving Lives with the Power of the Horse
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
UpReach is dedicated to inspiring hope, fostering independence, and improving the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of individuals with and without the disabilities by partnering with the power of the horse.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Therapeutic Riding
Therapeutic riding is a mounted, equine-assisted program that enables participants to improve cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioral abilities by learning equestrian riding skills. Specific goals are identified for each participant and are supported by a team of PATH Intl. certified staff and trained volunteers.
BENEFITS:
Therapeutic riding lessons are specifically tailored to each individual's abilities and goals. When on the back of a horse, the rider's pelvis naturally moves in a manner that closely mimics walking. Therapeutic riding leads to:
-Horsemanship and supporting skills, such as communication, decision-making, and problem-solving
-Increase in self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation, and well-being
-Transfer of improvements in fine and gross motor skills to personal functional skills
Therapeutic Driving
Therapeutic driving is an equine-assisted program that provides a carriage or cart alternative for those participants who are unable to ride due to weight, balance, fatigue, and/or the ability to sit astride. Specific goals are identified for each participant and are supported by a team of PATH Intl. certified staff and trained volunteers.
BENEFITS:
Therapeutic driving lessons are specifically tailored to each individual's abilities and goals in mind. Therapeutic driving leads to:
- Development of bi-lateral movement and planning skills
- Improvement in posture and spatial orientation
- Positive impact on communication skills and self-confidence
- Development of motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination and stability
Equine-Assisted Learning
Equine assisted learning programming and curriculum incorporates horses to facilitate and strengthen the learning process and help participants achieve educational and personal goals. All EAL programming is unmounted, meaning that all lessons occur on the ground and no riding is involved. Horses help to motivate and provide an exciting opportunity to bring about growth, change, and the learning process. UpReach initiated EAL after recognizing a need for programming to serve disengaged learners and at-risk youth in the greater Manchester, New Hampshire area. UpReach currently offers four types of curriculum including Cowboy Poetry, Journey of the Spirit Horse, Girl Power through Horse Power, and Just Ask Yourself to Care (JAYC). All curriculum were created after successful models working across the country and can be tailored in length and topic to meet the needs of individuals served.
Equine-Facilitated Mental Health
Equine-facilitated mental health (EFMH) is an an unmounted program with an experiential form of psychotherapy, using the natural sensitivity of horses to identify with and respond to emotional and physical changes in humans. UpReach currently contracts with Sarah Jane Chaplin, LCMHC and Dawn Wyman, LICSW.
Why horses? Horses are domesticated prey animals and because of this they are extremely sensitive to emotional and physical changes in the human being. The horse, after picking up on the emotional state of the human being, begins to mimic those feelings. This provides both the client and therapist with information about the client's current mood, as well as changes.
Benefits of EFMH:
- Improvement in critical life and verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Strengthened decision-making and problem-solving abilities
- More conscious awareness of oneself and surroundings
- Increased focus, attentiveness, self-esteem, and self-confidence
- Happiness, hope, and peace-of-mind, body and soul
Hippotherapy
Hippotherapy is a mounted activity utilizing the movement of the horse and is implemented by a Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), or Speech Language Therapist (SLT). The participant receiving individualized treatment is not learning riding skills, but is gaining improvements in muscle tone, strength, postural control, balance, and coordination from weight shifts and postural displacement created by the horse's gait. UpReach currently contracts with It's Ability Pediatric Physical Therapy and Dr. Heather Ajzenman, OTD, OTR/L.Some general benefits of hippotherapy include:
- Bilateral integration and body awareness
- Dynamic postural stability and endurance
- Midline orientation and mobility of pelvis, spine, and hip joints
- Problem-solving movement strategies
- Symmetry and alignment
Vocational Training Program
UpReach is providing a hands-on training program to prepare students for employment. This 20-week program aligns with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act's focus on transition services related to Work-Based Learning, Workplace Readiness, and Self-Advocacy- and will provide students with skills related to animal care in a therapeutic setting. The skills covered in this course are transferable to animal and non-animal care careers and will benefit students in any employment opportunity.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of donations made by board members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
100% of our Board of Directors make a contribution to support UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center’s programs are made possible by the incredible members of our community who volunteer their time and talent with us each week. From side-walkers and leaders that
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Matthew, one of my twins, has Fragile X Syndrome and has been part of the UpReach Family since he was 21 years old. Matthew has been riding for seven years and loves his relationships with the staff a
Number of organizational partners
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center has forged many beneficial relationships with local, regional, and statewide community partners who have been integral to our growth!
Number of staff members certified in subject area training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Over 25 years experience of providing Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) Premier Accredited Center Instructors.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Thank you to all our volunteers who make a difference each day. We could not do it without you! For more information on volunteer opportunities please visit our website at www.upreachtec.org.
Number of program sites
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of families served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people on the organization's email list
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of programing delivered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of training events conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average online donation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of individuals attending community events or trainings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of stories successfully placed in the media
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Through providing high-quality equine-assisted activities and therapies, UpReach strives toward excellence in its field. With the help of our equine partners, UpReach is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those we serve by providing challenge, promoting independence, and celebrating success.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
UpReach offers a variety of mounted and unmounted equine-assisted activities and therapies that can be tailored to address individual needs and outcomes. For a full list of services, please visit www.upreachtec.org
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Premier Accredited Center, UpReach meets and exceeds the highest standards of administration, program development, and implementation. Certified staff utilizes Goal Attainment Scaling (G.A.S.) to establish specific goals and outcomes for each participant. Independent raters assess skill development and provide objective results.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
UpReach continues to meet with other agencies and organizations to identify unmet community needs and create sustainable opportunities and collaborations to address these needs. With the support of eight staff, 13 board members, and over 300 volunteers, UpReach serves approximately 300 unduplicated participants annually.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Lindsey Hart
Middle School Teacher
Term: 2021 - 2023
Cathy McDonald
Retired
Colleen Dichard
Retired
Judy LaForest
Retired
Dr. Matthew Cobb
Veterinarian
Walter Razzaboni
UBS
Carla Nielsen
Merrimack County Bank
Elise Rollman
Student
Kathryn Conway
Operations Manager
Sara McCarthy
Development Director
Kristen McGraw
Unmounted Program Manager
Lauren Diener
Mounted Program Manager
Allison McCully
Unmounted Program Assisted Manager
Liz Cate
Barn Manager
Beth Bernadi
Assisted Barn Manager
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/01/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.