INTRIGUING COLLABORATIONS INCLUDE EQUESTRIAN THERAPY

One of the most intriguing collaborations involving the Medical City anchors is an effort to develop an equestrian therapy program that will benefit wounded veterans being treated at the neighboring VA Hospital. 

Dr. Manette Monroe, a lifelong horse enthusiast, is leading UCF’s effort to bring the program to Lake Nona. Monroe wants to scientifically quantify the ways in which horseback riding helps vets who are physically disabled or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. 

According to Wendy Spirduso Sarubbi, coordinator of information and publication services at the UCF College of Medicine, the research will be groundbreaking.

“Veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with amputations and serious brain injuries from roadside bombings need this program,” says Sarubbi. “Using equestrian therapy allows vets to ride the horses to improve balance, hand/eye coordination and core strength.”

UCF is finalizing a proposal to Osceola County leaders requesting donated land on which to build a covered equestrian center for year-round training and classes. The school is seeking research grants to fund the program and hopes to eventually expand it to encompass children with autism.