Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (CKRH), a NARHA therapeutic riding program, is looking for horses to add to its equine team. The program has recently expanded into a new facility and a new year-round schedule. CKRH has many requests to provide services, but is currently limited in its ability to expand due to a shortage of appropriate horses.

The type of horse CKRH is looking for has the following characteristics:

• Between 7 and 18 years of age

• Approximately 15-16 hands in height

• Walk, trot, and canter sound in an arena (or walk and gait in the case of saddle horse breeds)

• Ability to comfortably carry adult weight at the canter (or gait)

• Ability to walk, trot, and canter (or gait) on a lunge line with a rider

• Safe for a beginner rider to ride off lead

• Years of experience with very novice equestrians

CKRH has a process to select horses that will be safe mounts as well as horses that will be happy with their new career as a therapy horse. That includes a set of questions regarding the horse's age, height, breed, training, soundness, health, and temperament. The form questions may be found at www.ckrh.org/other.html.

An evaluation is then scheduled in which at least two CKRH staff members visit the horse at his current home, or, if vaccinations are current, the horse is brought to CKRH for evaluation. The horse is observed while being handled and ridden by the owner and then by CKRH staff