SERT – Special Equestrian Riding Therapy - was founded in 1987 by a group of parents seeking to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities. Today, on 24 acres next to the foothills of Moorpark, California, Connie Gilly oversees six registered instructors who are certified by NARHA, and trained volunteers. Together, they provide individualized lessons for each participant.
We serve many areas including Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Southern California, Encino, Simi, Agoura, Calabassas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Oak Park, Ventura, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Port Hueneme, Moorpark, Camarillo, Fillmore, and Thousand Oaks.
SERT has expertise in serving children with various disabilities including: ADD, ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Development Delays, Down Syndrome, Emotional and Behavioral Issues, Hearing Impairment, Intellectually Challenged, Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Speech Impairment, and Williams Syndrome.
From the beginning, Connie insisted on honoring the remarkable relationship between horse and rider.Whether it’s Cimarron or Dundee or Lego, the same unique, professionally trained horse “belongs” to every child that comes to SERT. That relationship is one of the factors that helps SERT provide physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged individuals an opportunity for emotional and physical growth through horsemanship.
How did Connie Gilly become so attuned to the needs of exceptional children? “My daughter Vickie has Down Syndrome,” she says. “I’d loved horses all my life. But I didn’t know the difference riding and being around horses could make in the life of a disabled person until Vickie had the opportunity to experience horsemanship herself.” The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Vickie helps out at SERT, observing others develop the ability to control horses, their own bodies, and gain self-confidence.
Safety is always SERT’s top priority.
SERT instructors design each student’s personalized lesson and work with that child. SERT team members are attuned to each child’s special needs in order to give every child a special experience that can break down barriers to growth and learning.
SERT brings together horses, disabled children and adults, families and caring volunteers. In the process, the lives of everyone are enriched.
