From Assistant Instructor & Horse Trainer to Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor
Congratulations to our newest PATH-certified instructor, Soorya Anilkumar, on passing her PATH certification exam. Here, Soorya is pictured leading a group lesson out on a trail ride in Forest Park.
When Soorya began volunteering at GallopNYC, the other staff quickly noticed that she was a natural horse whisperer. During these days, the barn staff noticed that Soorya understood our horses on a deeper level than most others, and they made sure to let Soorya know that she would make a great instructor.
Soon enough, Soorya was offered a position as an assistant instructor and horse trainer. She began leading recreational trail lessons at GallopNYC’s Forest Hills location. Furthermore, Soorya began training our herd of therapeutic horses to ensure that they continued to be good fits for our specialized programs. Our horses need to be gentle, forgiving, and of calm demeanors to ensure the safety of our riders. Soorya plays a vital role in ensuring that our riders are safe by continuously and tirelessly training our horses.
Since returning to work after the COVID-19 pandemic, Soorya set herself a new goal: bringing more therapeutic riders outside on trail rides. An avid trail rider, she wanted to help build this pipeline from the arena to the trail. This motivated her to begin the process of PATH certification.
Since passing the certification exam, Soorya is officially a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. At GallopNYC, we cannot be prouder to have such an experienced and now-certified horsewoman on our team. Now, Soorya can help our therapeutic riders reach their individualized goals both inside and outside of the arena.
