Our Riders

Kylie has now been riding with GallopNYC for years. She has Cerebral Palsy, a chronic condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination. For Kylie, her left arm and leg are affected, giving her limited mobility on that side of her body. Over the years, Kylie has used therapeutic riding to help her fine motor control, balance, coordination, and strength. But an unfortunate event occurred over a year ago – Kylie suffered an accident at work. This accident resulted in a injury to her brain. Her speech was affected, it delayed her reflexes and processing time and it triggered episodes of anxiety.

Therapeutic riding helped in her road to recovery. GallopNYC instructors used the horses and lesson plans to enhance her motor planning skills, improve her speech and help her regain strength in her muscles. Partnering with her horse helped her tackle new physical challenges, boost her self confidence, and reduce anxiety. Being presented with the opportunity to join the GallopNYC Equestrian Team further inspired Kylie’s recovery.

 “I am especially grateful for being part of the show team while recovering from a brain injury. Seeing tangible progress has helped both my self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. Thank you GallopNYC for this wonderful experience.” – Kylie Long

“As a parent of a child with special needs, it can be difficult to find a place or activity that he can really enjoy that will help him grow. We found that place at GallopNYC for Jariel.” – Sheila Moqute, Jariel’s mother.

Jariel is a bright 8-year-old boy with a high IQ and brilliant grades in school.  But Jariel struggles in the areas of socialization, motor control, sensory processing and speech. He came to GallopNYC at the age of 5 to begin therapeutic riding. His weekly riding lessons have made a significant difference his life.

“GallopNYC is helping our child grow in so many ways – emotionally, physically, and socially. Jariel has more strength in his body and better coordination, he is more confident with himself and what is capable of doing, but most importantly he has the opportunity to interact with new friends and of course the horses.”

Jariel now competes in the Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities on the GallopNYC Equestrian Team where he gets excited to demonstrate the skills he has learned. His love for horses has helped him gain confidence and the courage to try new things. He enjoys socializing with his side walkers, teammates and even likes to talk to the judge at the shows. He keeps everyone laughing, smiling and in good spirits. Jariel has made a real connection to the horses. He loves to trot, take photos with his horse and he welcomes new challenges.

Noah’s riding skills have progressed quickly and he has developed an understanding of some of the more complex equestrian concepts as well as a strong awareness of the physical cues he is giving his horse. Through riding, his motor planning skills and balance have rapidly improved, and he shows great aptitude for any equestrian challenge presented to him. Noah asks questions that reveal his perceptiveness, curiosity and tenacity. And he truly empathizes with the horses, especially his favorite mare in Forest Hills, Popcorn.

Equally important, Noah’s success in the riding arena is carrying over to his success in the classroom. Noah, who has learning challenges, is more focused in school, more willing to ask questions and participate in discussions. Only a year ago he tended to be reserved and shy in school, but his mother and teachers have witnessed tremendous growth in his socialization skills and confidence; allowing him to realize his full potential in many important aspects of his life.

When presented with the opportunity to challenge himself even further by participating in the GallopNYC Equestrian Team, Noah leapt at the chance. One of the youngest members of our team and competing in a division with older, more experienced riders, Noah maintained poise, self-awareness, skill and a big smile throughout the summer show season. He demonstrated sportsmanship far beyond his years. 

“I’m bursting with pride when I watch Noah ride and see how far he has progressed in such a short time,” says Leslie Lewis. “I see great things ahead for Noah, the possibilities are endless!”