Peace Area Riding for the Disabled Society (PARDS) is excited to announce the launching of the Unbridled program this September in partnership with the Grande Prairie Stompede Association (GPSA). PARDS and GPSA believe it is critically important to build resiliency within our youth population in an effort to build strong minds, bodies and souls as youth traverse through adolescence and enter into adulthood. Programs like Unbridled are pivotal in guiding and supporting youth as they grow and PARDS and GPSA are honoured to work together in the development and execution of this incredible program in our community.
Being subjected to something traumatic can have a profound effect on your life. It changes the way you think, feel and experience life on a daily basis. Experiencing abuse in any of its devastating forms, being involved in an accident such as a car wreck or house fire, suffering the violent or sudden loss of someone you love or being exposed to high stress situations or environments on a regular basis can all result in trauma.
Everyday at PARDS, we encounter firsthand the powerful bonds forged between horse and rider; strengthening the body, calming the mind, bringing a sense of accomplishment and forming a firm basis of self-confidence. We see this in the hundreds of therapeutic riders we serve each year. Further, we recognize that we have a responsibility to the community that has valued and supported us and our mission for going on 40 years to broaden our impact through the use of our skills, knowledge and resources in Animal Assisted Therapy. The result is the Unbridled program. Unbridled focuses on youth and is centred around their emotional and mental well-being.
Unbridled brings the expertise of a mental health professional together with a strong, confident horse to support youth in processing and navigating through lived trauma, becoming more confident, empowered and resilient.
The financial support of the GPSA in the amount of $25,000 per year for 3 years, has been instrumental in PARDS’ ability to launch this much needed and eagerly anticipated program within our community and we offer our sincere thanks. It is an honour and a privilege to work in partnership with this group of passionate and dedicated individuals who truly believe in this program and the need for it in our community.
PARDS looks forward to including Unbridled in our program offerings. We welcome the opportunity to impact our youth through the powerful and effective use of Equine Assisted Mental Health.
For more information on Unbridled, contact Shirley McDonald at 780-538-3211 or executive@pards.ca.
Register and pay online for any PARDS program using the link below: