Mission

                  Mission Statement:  The mission of Equi-librium is to empower individuals with special needs to reach their highest potential through horse-related activities.

There is no “typical” Equi-librium participant. The people who come to Equi-librium are from all backgrounds, with varying degrees of cognitive, physical, behavioral, psychological or sensory disabilities.  Ages have ranged from 2 years old to 75. 

The primary disabilities include autism, ADD (attention deficit disorder) ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactive disorder), cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, TBI (traumatic brain injury), developmental delay, mental retardation, bi-polar disorder, ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), sensory dysfunction, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, visual, hearing or language impairments, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy. 

Our participants come from special-education classes at local schools, as referrals from social service agencies, MH/MR, Children and Youth, group homes, physicians and therapists, rehabilitation or vocational training centers and through personal referrals from other participants. Equi-librium has participant partnerships with Good Shepherd, The ARC of Lehigh and Northampton, KidsPeace, Youth Advocate Program, Step-By-Step, Pocono Mountain School District, and Stroudsburg School District.

Equi-librium receives funding from United Way of Monroe County specifically for programs for local at-risk youth. 

Facility                                                    

Equi-librium currently leases an equestrian facility in Snydersville, Pa.  The farm is located on 13 acres, has two barns with an indoor and outdoor arena, round pen, and 10 acres of pasture.  The upper barn with indoor arena houses the barn office, waiting area, tack rooms, feed and hay rooms, classroom, 11 stalls, volunteer & participant areas, and storage areas.  The lower barn has 4 stalls, hay, equipment and bedding storage.

Equi-librium has been given 38 acres of farmland in Wind Gap, Pennsylvania that will house a purpose-built, state of the art, equine assisted riding/driving facility. Equi-librium is in the process of finalizing the architectural plans and plans to launch its capital campaign for the new building in the Spring of 2009.

Board and Staff

As a charitable non-profit organization, Equi-librium is governed by a 15-member, all-volunteer Board of Directors, and managed by a professional staff of 18 paid employees, of whom 4 are full-time.  The staff is assisted by over 175 active volunteers who support the daily operations of the program.  As a Premier Accredited Center of NARHA, all instructors are Certified in Equine Assisted Activities and the therapists are Registered with both NARHA and the American Hippotherapy Association.

Administrative Staff

Patricia Sayler, President & CEO                         

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Margie Manner, Administrative Assistant

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Instructors & Therapists

Aileen Brown, Physical Therapist 

Yvonne Darlington, Instructor

Donna Garrity, Instructor

Karen Graffman, Physical Therapist

Debra Hutchison, Instructor

Tracy McGowan, Instructor

Diane Morris, Instructor/Driving

Terry Ramsour, Instructor/Occupational Therapist

Pamela Rankin, Instructor

Michell Ressler, Dir. of Equine Operations/Instructor

Patricia Sayler, Instructor 

Board of Directors

Polly Beste, Chairman; President & CEO, Beste Marketing Services

Kelly O'Shea Carney, Ph.D., Vice Chairman; Director, Eldercare Assessment & Resources, Community Services Group

Robert Makos, Treasurer; Senior VP, PNC Wealth Management

Sherrie Martin, Secretary; Owner/Manager, Mugwampum Farm and Community Volunteer

Andrew Bohl; Civil Engineer, Hanover Engineering 

Ron Brubaker; Director, Supplier Quality Assurance, Victaulic Corp.

Diane Cavanagh, Ph.D.; Professor of Special Education, East Stroudsburg University 

Tom Daub; Manager, Brown-Daub Dealerships 

Elizabeth Dellers, M.D.; Director of Pathology, Muhlenberg Hospital 

Nancy Ehle; Community Volunteer 

Robert Holcombe; Retired, Development Specialist, Lehigh University

Robyn Jameson; Financial Advisor, Lehigh Valley Financial Group 

Timothy Merwarth; Developer and Community Volunteer

Elizabeth Nelson; Director of Major Gifts, Lafayette College

Thomas E. Stine; President, T.E. Stine Associates