Who We Are
Through our Equine Facilitated Therapy and Learning programmes, we empower and educate people with disabilities and disadvantages, and assist with minimising barriers to opportunities in mainstream society, and improve quality of life across all spheres that we work in.
What is now the EARTH Centre NPC started informally, fuelled by the passion and energy of a small group of mothers of children with disabilities, seeking to create a local forum for a relatively new (at the time) therapeutic intervention that would be fully embraced by their children. In 2006, the group became the Gauteng affiliate of SARDA (South African Riding for the Disabled Association), and moved into our leased premises at 125 Peter Road, allowing the development of current facilities.
Developments included a training barn with rooms for meetings, equine tack and supplies and staff quarters for resident grooms. A sand arena, and a multipurpose grass arena were also developed, as well as a catering hut, universal mounting blocks, an outdoor play area and a range of sensory enrichment areas -- a sensory trail, a scent garden, a cross country trail and ridden and universal labyrinths to name but a few of the features that make the EARTH Centre unique.
As time progressed, what is now known as the EARTH Centre registered as an independent non-profit organisation with the Department of Social Services, as a non-profit company with CIPC, and as a public benefit organisation with SARS. Download our Documents.
We partner with special needs schools in Gauteng, building long-lasting relationships with their Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and officials to provide weekly therapeutic services to their students over the course of a school term. Our capacity depends primarily upon the availability of qualified instructors and a herd of healthy, willing and able therapy ponies trained to safely work with children with significant physical and /or neurological challenges, as well as cope with any of the disruptive behaviours that may follow from these lived challenges and experiences.
We reach out further into the most vulnerable communities through quarterly programmes in Soweto, Zandspruit, Cosmo City, and by partnering with various other non-profit organisations to provide much needed physical and social relief for our vulnerable communities: the elderly, vulnerable and abused children, young orphans, and isolated children with disabilities and neurological disorders.
While Therapy Riding is our core focus area, our highly skilled horses and facilitators also provide Equine Facilitated Learning sessions for groups, individuals and corporate clients looking to enhance leadership skills and / or pursue personal growth and development goals. Depending on instructor and herd capacity, we have the ability to quickly ramp up and offer private and semi-private paid therapeutic riding lessons to children and young adults with disability and neurodevelopmental challenges.
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"In riding a horse, we borrow freedom"
Helen Thompson
years
hours of joyful therapy
children with disabilities.
Help us build capacity and increase our impact
Our School Programme
provides riding therapy to more than 100 learners at special needs schools in the Gauteng area, each year, free of charge. Learn about our beneficiaries, the mechanics of our therapeutic riding intervention, and how this work uplifts, empowers and prepares our special needs children for a better future.
Our Instructor Development Programme
is building capacity for therapeutic riding in Gauteng, one qualified instructor at time. Mentorship and supervision combine with the sanctioned use of SARDA study materials to ensure that candidates are prepared for examinations and have the practical hours to support safe and effective integration of therapeutic principles into their riding instruction for children with disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.
How you can help
To fund the sustainability of our operations, and to continue to serve our communities, we rely on many volunteers, individual and corporate donors, affiliate organisations, fund raising events, corporate workshops, venue hire and the sale of compost and donated goods.
Support our programmes:
Meet Our Team
Our therapy ponies are barefoot and live out 24/7 in a herd with access to shelter, nutritious fodder and clean water. Many are rescues, and this natural lifestyle supports their social and emotional welfare, and helps build the trust, courage and curiosity that their specialised work requires. They receive gentle, non-invasive training and exposure to all sorts of weird objects and noises, and when they are ready, they become a “therapy pony.”