Each year, 8 to 10 people from around the world come to intern at Strides Therapeutic Riding Centers. Internships give international visitors a opportunity to visit the United States and experience Therapeutic Riding at a NARHA center. Therapeutic Riding Centers have been started and are underway in India, Uruguay, Argentina and Costa Rica as a result of the knowlege gained through internships at Strides. Interns have come from Belgium, Argentina, Germany, Poland, Holland, Costa Rica, India, Japan, Equador, China, Brazil, Sweden, Trinidad, Isreal, South Africa, Croatia and Uruguay, as well as within the United States.
International interns and those from out of the local vacinity are given the opportunity to stay at the home of a Strides staff person for the duration of the internship. Depending on the interest of the intern, classes are offered during the internship on how to teach therapeutic riding and how to start a therapeutic riding program. Our extensive library of books and tapes on therapeutic riding is also available to interns.
Typically, interns stay for 2 1/2 to 6 months. The average stay is three months. Interns are usually at the ranch 5 days a week. This gives them two days off each week to do sightseeing and enjoy the beautiful beaches and sights of Los Angeles. Our riders and volunteers love being tour guides.
Pushpa, from India, teaches Kelly how to stretch.
She has started India's first Therapeutic Riding program.
Internships are available for local college students who may qualify for college credit for the experience gained during their internship. These internships usually require about 150 hours per semester, depending upon the academic requirements of the department. Many of our local interns have stayed on to become instructors at our center.