Maddy Berridge founded Elevate Equine Assisted Therapy in DeWitt in 2020 with her horse, Cupid.
"He was a neglect case," Berridge said. "Then Comet, who is in the stall, was pulled from a slaughter auction."
Berridge saved the horses' lives, and now they're helping others with theirs.
"We noticed a huge need of kids that were just really struggling, especially kids with special needs," Berridge said.
Now she, her two horses and volunteer Addison Rogers offer classes two days a week for a total of 12 students, most of whom have a type of autism.
"We do a lot of our therapy work through games," Berridge said. "They play with balls, hula hoops, flags."
They work on building motor, social and life skills during their lessons, while of course, having fun and riding horses.
"It helps kids come out of their shell a lot, and it gives kids with disabilities that confidence to be like, 'Hey, I can do this! I can do a lot of things if I can do this,'" Rogers said. "So, it's really beneficial."
"Parents have said that they are doing so much better at school, on the playground and socially and emotionally, which is really good to hear," Berridge said.
The two-woman, two-horse show is hoping to one day expand their operation. To help, they're having a Halloween fundraiser. All proceeds will go toward the horses' care and kids' activities.
To enter, send a $5 donation on Venmo to @Madison-Berridge-1 and write “Elevate” in the memo. Then, send pet costume photos to elevateeat@gmail.com before Oct. 22.
Photos will be posted on their Facebook page and the most liked photos will win prizes, including gift cards for Swany's Pub and Oh Mi Organics in St. Johns.
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