This past Sunday at Sunrise Stables in Howard Beach, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) attended the annual Open House for GallopNYC, a program that provides therapeutic riding for children and adults with special needs and other disabilities. According to their website, GallopNYC.org, the program serves over 500 riders per week at six locations, many of whom are at-risk youth and some of whom are Veterans. GallopNYC “uses therapeutic horsemanship to help riders in NYC with disabilities walk, talk and learn, inspiring them to live their lives as fully, independently and productively as possible.” The organization also offers riding lessons to the general public as part of its horse education program.

“This is a fantastic program, and it’s my pleasure to support it,” said Pheffer Amato. “The program staff are passionate about what they do, and it shows in the results they get from all different kinds of at-risk and disabled populations. Over 80% of their riders receive partial or full scholarships, which is why events where the public can support GallopNYC’s mission are so important. I also got to meet some of the horses, who all have unique personalities! All in all, this was a great day for a great organization. If you’ve never been to GallopNYC, I highly recommend checking it out.”

"We were pleased and honored that Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato visited Sunrise Stables and our open house, and we look forward to working with her to continue improving the barn and our programs," said Alicia Kershaw, Executive Director of GallopNYC. “We welcome volunteers to help with horse care and therapeutic lessons. For more information, folks can go to our web site.”