Kylie Long

Meet Kylie, a bright young professional whose love for horses began as a young girl. When first introduced to horses by her mother, an avid rider, Kylie immediately fell in love with them and the sport. Being well aware of the physical and cognitive benefits of riding, her mother decided to enroll her in therapeutic riding. 

Kylie has now been riding with GallopNYC for years. She has Cerebral Palsy, a chronic condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination. For Kylie, her left arm and leg are affected, giving her limited mobility on that side of her body. Over the years, Kylie has used therapeutic riding to help her fine motor control, balance, coordination, and strength. But an unfortunate event occurred over a year ago – Kylie suffered an accident at work. This accident resulted in a injury to her brain. Her speech was affected, it delayed her reflexes and processing time and it triggered episodes of anxiety.

Therapeutic riding helped in her road to recovery. GallopNYC instructors used the horses and lesson plans to enhance her motor planning skills, improve her speech and help her regain strength in her muscles. Partnering with her horse helped her tackle new physical challenges, boost her self confidence, and reduce anxiety. Being presented with the opportunity to join the GallopNYC Equestrian Team further inspired Kylie’s recovery.

 “I am especially grateful for being part of the show team while recovering from a brain injury. Seeing tangible progress has helped both my self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. Thank you GallopNYC for this wonderful experience.” – Kylie Long