Strides Pediatric Therapy Press
Read About Strides in the Media!
The City Journals
Strides Pediatric Therapy’s service ponies bring joy to Huntsman Cancer Institute
It’s becoming a new normal to see two miniature ponies named Royal and Rhett outside the doors of Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Strides Pediatric Therapy, located in Eagle Mountain, is home to not only the two ponies but more horses that help with the treatment of child patients.
Currently, Huntsman is the only place the ponies visit outside of Strides.
Both Rhett and Royal are certified service animals that were donated to Strides in 2020 and have been fully vetted as “employees” of Huntsman. They are trained to slow their breathing and heart rate to help those around them feel comforted.
“It's just some sort of comfort, a little bit of joy and normalcy,” said co-owner of Strides and Draper resident Marley Juarez.
Smiles were big as the ponies made their way to their normal spot from where their trailer was parked, many visitors of the center stopping to pet and take pictures with them. And the joy only intensified as they made their way outside the main doors.
The City Journals
Two students take the reins for Pony Tales event
Youth of all ages experienced the academic and therapeutic benefits of reading to a horse at Strides Pediatric Therapy’s Pony Tales event, planned by Mountain Ridge High School business students Eden Knecht and Izzy Hammer.
“Some felt silly at first, but as they started going, it was fun for them, and it was good, and they felt more confident,” Knecht said. “One mom said that her daughter protested less about having to sound out the words and take her time. She was just more open with it and actually gave it a chance instead of pushing back.”
Hammer and Knecht organized the event for a DECA business club project at the request of Marley Juarez, co-owner of Strides Pediatric Therapy. The project was the perfect intersection of their interests in horses and in helping others. With the skills they learned in marketing and business classes, they took over the clinic’s social media accounts and networked with Herriman City, community members and their high school student body.
Good Things Utah
Strides Pediatric Therapy Using the Movement of a Horse to Help Children and Adults
Strides Pediatric Therapy is an outpatient therapy clinic in Eagle Mountain, Utah that offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health therapy, hippotherapy, recreational therapy, and adaptive riding to children ages birth-21 with a variety of disabilities and/or needs.
Strides Pediatrics started with a parent, an equestrian, a mental health professional, an occupational therapist, and one horse named Solomon. From there, the vision grew. They provide research-supported therapies and treatment tools. Strides have created an organization that is able to offer a variety of tools/strategies including hippotherapy, nature-based environments, sensory-friendly spaces, and collaborative treatment teams.
Voyage Utah
Hidden Gems: Meet Marley Juarez of Strides Pediatric Therapy
Strides is an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic offering occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, mental health therapy, and recreation therapy to kids ages 0-21 with a variety of disabilities or needs. We absolutely adore our jobs!
We have a ten-acre facility that has clinic buildings with a sensory-motor gym, gross motor gym, and offices, as well as outdoor spaces and an equestrian facility. All of our therapists are trained to incorporate the use of a horse when it is beneficial and desired. We get to help kids crawl or walk for the first time, say “mama”, learn to ride a bike, and just, in general, make huge strides towards living happy, healthy, independent lives!
The horse piece is definitely unique. In PT, OT, or speech therapy, it is called hippotherapy, which uses the movement of a horse to facilitate a change in a child within that PT, OT, or ST program. Our mental health therapists use equine-assisted psychotherapy, and recreation therapy uses horseback riding as the recreational activity used to make a change.
These tools offer something that cannot be accomplished using just clinic space, and it is a fun and therapeutic tool that our therapists can use to achieve the kids’ goals!
Intermountain Catholic
Juan Diego CHS makes Strides during Senior Service Week
Strides was so lucky to have four incredible seniors at our site for a senior service project,” Juarez and Lebrecht said in a statement. “The seniors were positive, enthusiastic and compassionate with our kiddos and made a huge impact in the short time they were here. We still have kids asking when they’re going to come back, two weeks later. As JD alumni, it was an honor to be part of such a meaningful experience, bringing our passion for our career and the kiddos we serve to the students who stand where we once stood. It makes us proud to call Juan Diego our alma mater.”
Among the students who volunteered at Strides for Service Week was Juan Diego senior Ashlynn Sandberg.
“Growing up with horses and riding since the age of 5, being able to serve at Strides was a natural choice for me,” Sandberg said. “I had never heard of hippotherapy, so I was intrigued by combining traditional therapies with the integration of horses. I really enjoyed helping to support the children being served by Strides as they were on horses while engaging in various therapies with their therapist.”