Loving Thunder Therapeutic Riding is holding three events over the next few months to allow the community to get to know the therapy horses at the facility in Corrales.
Mike and Twuana Raupp co-founded Loving Thunder Therapeutic Riding Inc. in 2008. The mission for Loving Thunder was and remains to empower and improve the quality of life for people with mental and physical challenges through therapeutic horsemanship and equine-assisted activities.
The first of the free “Meet the Naayybors” events is 6-7:30 p.m. April 27. There will also be opportunities to meet the Loving Thunder horses and see what the nonprofit organization does in the community on June 6 and July 28.
Donations will be accepted at each social gathering, which is family friendly. An RSVP is encouraged.
Loving Thunder had the program in Rio Rancho for 13 years and opened a new facility in Corrales last year. The organization operates on donations and sponsorships. There is a group of 20 volunteers on the books, but the program is always looking for more. There’s 12 horses in the program in Corrales.
“Participants that we have are children and adults with disabilities, could be a veteran with PTSD, could be a child with autism,” Loving Thunder co-founder Twuana Raupp said. “It could be someone in a wheelchair, and we use the power of the horse to provide healing opportunities for them.”
