Willow Ridge Therapeutic Riding, Plain City OH

As a previous volunteer I can honestly say this place is very unprofessional and a toxic environment. The volunteers that help with the horses and interact with the children know almost next to nothing about horse behavior. I was just told to lead the horse around with the children on them, there would be spotters to hold the children on both sides and if we didn't have enough then Pam would make the parents go out and work for what their paying for while she did nothing and watched. Some of the horses were very unruly to be lesson horses, especially for children with disabilities. I was even told to saddle a horse after being showed only ONCE how to saddle it. The owner Pam is the most disrespectful and inconsiderate person I have ever come across. She uses people to an ends meet and once she has what she wants she is no longer friendly and becomes very hostile and rude. I will honestly say that this place is going to get a volunteer, child, horse or parent seriously injured one day from its lack of safety and over all lack of knowledge. I highly discourage anyone from coming here, because this place is very unsuitable for just about anyone.

I am a current volunteer and acting director on the board at this facility, I take exception with remarks noted in 2 of these reviews. I must say, I am a bit confused that both of these reviewers feel strongly enough to post these concerns but did not approach anyone at Willow Ridge to address these critical issues. I can attest that the safety of the children, animals, and volunteers is first and foremost importance at Willow Ridge. In the four years that I have been volunteering, I have been a side walker and now do barn chores twice a week. More than once, I have been reminded by the executive director of safety procedures when handling the horses. I am a retired school teacher who served on the district committee for autism awareness and was one of the first inclusion teachers. Horses have always been a part of my life. I must say, as a board director, I am aware that my experience is not the exception when it comes to the many volunteers that help make Willow Ridge successful. Occupations are varied. Many volunteers own or have owned their own horse, and have ridden on teams at the college level. Several current volunteers have volunteered at other equine therapy centers. Though equine experience is undoubtedly appreciated, it is not a requirement. Those volunteers that are inexperienced with horses are encouraged to take a Common Horse Sense course at the barn. All new volunteers are paired with experienced volunteers. As for being a paid employee, I can attest that the stipend our executive director receives is minimal and indeed not a salary. It is well deserved for the hours she puts in at the barn and during her personal time to run this facility 24/7.

I have volunteered at Willow Ridge for the last 4 years and I have seen so many children's lives improved because of this special place. The owner, Pam, truly has a heart for these children and families and does her best to provide the most enjoyable and safest experience possible. The volunteers are committed to being there week after week to provide routine to the kids. The volunteers work well with the horses and the children. For those who want to volunteer but do not have horse experience, Pam provides classes to educate them on basic safety and care for the horses. Pam also provides referrals when she can't meet the needs of clients at her facility-it is not about the money for her, but about what is best for the children and families that come to Willow Ridge.

I was a previous volunteer with this facility. Several years of experience around horses. The volunteers are given no direction and with working with these kinds of animals that is dangerous. Also, some volunteers have no experience with horses or with children, let alone disabled children. Some of the volunteers are high schoolers just trying to get in hours, they are more about gossip than working with the child. It's sad really because horse therapy is an amazing thing if done correctly and this is just not, this is a disaster waiting to happen. This should not even be considered horse therapy, this should just be considered an overpriced "horse experience", I wouldn't even consider it riding lessons.

I am a volunteer at WRTRF. First, I was raised around horses, showed from coast to coast, trained for 2 years with a professional trainer, and qualified at both the National and World level to compete; in other words, I didn't just start my experience around horses yesterday! I, too, am a bit confused by some of the 1 star remarks; if something was that bad wouldn't you think the right thing to do would be to have a talk with the director/owner of the facility, that is if you were truly concerned about the welfare of the children? Hummm? Second, I found the Volunteer Handbook that was provided to all volunteers to be most helpful as a person who doesn't have experience with this particular group of young people. Last, volunteers in my experience don't normally get paid and shouldn't expect to.

Willow Ridge is a wonderful place where my special needs daughter has found confidence in riding. She continues to improve her balance and is learning social skills by engaging with the volunteers who genuinely enjoy working with the participants. The owner, Ms. Pam is one of the kindest and most generous people I know. Her heart and soul are in Willow Ridge. I highly recommend this great facility.

My daughter has been attending Willow Ridge for over a year and we find it to be an excellent facility. It is well kept, volunteers are great and Pam exceeds our expectations.

As a previous volunteer at Willow Ridge, I will give you the inside scoop of what REALLY goes on. All of the other one star reviews are 100% correct about what they said. The owner takes the money for herself and she is the only one who gets paid. You are better off throwing your money into a hole than spending it on this. The volunteers who do the lessons decide what the kid does. Some volunteers don't even have experience with horses so they cannot provide a thorough lesson for the child. Some of the horses are (in my opinion, one who has been riding horses their whole life) not broke enough for a disabled individual to get on. They are horses I would be scared to get on myself.

I have found the staff and volunteers very compassionate and understanding while working with my special needs grandson. I am very happy with the facility.