FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A therapeutic equine program in Franklin is planning a major expansion that could allow it to serve significantly more children and young adults with disabilities.
Saddle Up, located in Williamson County, has helped thousands of children over the years. The program is so popular that families currently face a wait of months to get in.
"Through the last, I would say, really 7 to 10 years, an expansion has always come up, and it really is around the fact that we have this long waiting period for kids that are on the waiting list," said Tina Doniger, Saddle Up's CEO.
The expansion project would cover an existing outdoor riding area, which officials say would allow the program to serve 25 to 40 percent more children.
"We just need to expand our current footprint that we have," Doniger said.
The project also includes roughly 2,500 square feet of additional therapy space, a horse simulator, a sensory room, and a dedicated classroom space. The covered riding area would allow sessions to continue through bad weather.
The expansion would also create more room for the hundreds of volunteers who support riders and their families.
For families like Brittney Lackey's, the program has already been life-changing for her daughter, Emmy.
"At 20 weeks, they did an ultrasound and she was missing her right hand," Lackey said.
Emmy participates in Saddle Up's program weekly, and Lackey said the expansion could mean that opportunity reaches far more families.
"It's gonna open the door for so many more kids and families to experience what Emmy gets to experience every week," Lackey said.
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