Founded in 1996, Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities (FTEA) is a not-for-profit organization that provides high-quality adaptive horsemanship programs and speech-language therapy services for children and adults with physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs in the greater Chicago area.
Volunteer opportunities are offered for individuals ages 13 years and older. Volunteers assist with classes, horse care, maintenance, specific projects, and special events. Community and corporate groups are encouraged to participate in group volunteer opportunities.
FTEA offers three services for individuals with special needs
- Mounted Horsemanship: Also known as Adaptive Riding or Therapeutic Riding. An instructor teaches participants to ride to the best of their ability in a supportive, strengths-based environment.
- Unmounted Horsemanship: An instructor teaches participants to care for and work with horses on the ground, engaging in activities like grooming, communicating with and leading the horse.
- Speech-Language Therapy: A licensed speech-language pathologist works to improve the client’s communication or feeding skills using various treatment strategies, including those involving the horse and the horse’s movement (hippotherapy).
Safety for riders, staff, and horses
FTEA is a Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Premier Accredited Center, indicating that the programs and services follow the highest standards of safety and best practices in the industry. FTEA instructors are certified through PATH Intl. FTEA therapists are licensed and have participated in post-graduate training through the American Hippotherapy Association.
FTEA horses and ponies are specially selected and trained to work with individuals with special needs. We are currently seeking additional kind, gentle, and sound exceptional horses and ponies to be donated and join our herd.
FTEA is conveniently located in DuPage County at 4N681 Munger Road, Wayne, IL 60184. They can be contacted at 630-588-8543 or info@ftea.org.
