REINS honors special donors

FALLBROOK — At a special luncheon held Saturday, November 8, REINS Therapeutic Horsemanship Program honored 30 donors who have given to the program for many years.

The group listened to the amazing story of the impact REINS made on the life of Joe and Pamela Farrow, who enrolled their son in the program 13 years ago after his near-drowning accident.

Adria Di Maria, who began lessons in September 2005, spoke of how riding at REINS gave her goals and hope after post-polio syndrome set in. She now is working toward her goal of riding in the Para Olympics.

Di Maria and her horse, Rocky, demonstrated their abilities while the group dined on pasta and salad donated by the Olive Garden in Carlsbad.

REINS is building a resource center that will be a wealth of information for families of disabled individuals. Plans are in the works to also build a Sensory Integration Trail, which will maximize the quality of therapy the students receive in their Occupational and Physical Therapy program that blends the tools of a sterile clinic with the sunshine and warmth of riding a horse outside.

In addition, REINS has created a new donation system which will allow those who commit to yearly contributions to become part of the REINS legacy.

“We are proud of how far we have come in our short 24 years and are excited for the path ahead,” said REINS Executive Director Debbie Shinner. “We are so very thankful to everyone who has supported REINS by donating their time or money. We need each and every one of our volunteers for the success of each lesson and are so thankful for the consistent and loyal turnout.”