Vinita's Home Of Hope Trots Out New Covered Riding Arena

Some horses have a new place to do what they do best, and that's help some Oklahomans with special needs.

The Home of Hope in Vinita is a facility that provides individuals with disabilities a variety of services in six counties in Northeast Oklahoma. They now have a covered riding arena which provides almost year round training opportunities for their equestrian programs.

The new covered riding arena at the Home of Hope in Vinita represents several years of planning and fund raising, and now they have the first class facility for their equine program.

Equine Supervisor, Joe Foss, said, "If you could see the pictures before, just a wire arena dirt floor and some rocks."

Derrick Sword and Albert Arnold are a couple of the regular riders in the program, they are warming the horses up, walking them through the course and getting them familiar with what they'll do later on.

Home of Hope has about 15 riders in their equine program and a few Special Olympians. The new facility will allow them train year round, and perhaps expand a very popular therapeutic riding program.

"It's special because it's something they love, they become attached to the horses, and they get to compete," Kendra Montana said.

The event was special because Home of Hope got to acknowledge all the folks who worked so hard to get the project completed.

"This is wonderful," Foss said.

Home of Hope began in 1968 and has grown to serve 200 adult individuals with intellectual and other disabilities in several counties in Northeast Oklahoma.