On Sunday an open house and ribbon cutting celebration was held in Nipomo to honor years of hard work toward the Jack Ready Imagination Park Equestrian Center.
“Building the Imagination Park Equestrian Center, which helps medically fragile, special needs and children with cancer here on the Central Coast with horse therapy," Bridget Ready said.
Jack's Helping Hand was created in honor of Paul and Bridget Ready’s youngest son Jack who passed away in 2004 at the age of three.
The center has been in the works for about 17 years.
Bridget Ready says the inspiration for the Imagination Park Equestrian Center was personal for them.
“When I was looking for horse therapy at the time that our child needed it so desperately, we had to travel out of the area," Ready said.
The non-profit helps with medical costs for children with special needs in San Luis Obispo County.
It's Little Riders Program has been located in San Luis Obispo and is now expanding to Nipomo.
“I found through meeting other families and meeting other children who had similar illnesses and special needs that horse therapy brought a sense of calm, a sense of purpose and a loving comfort,” Ready said.
Bonnie Burt, director of Jack's Helping Hand, said the therapeutic riding program is very beneficial.
“They learn horsemanship, they learn how to understand the horse, how the horse moves and how they behave and act. The actual movement of being in the saddle is where the therapy really happens,” Burt said.
“We can also address the emotional needs at the same time if a child has a cognitive challenge,” Burt said.
Paul Ready said the new facility has a lot to offer.
“We have two arenas, we have a caretaker's quarters, we have a multi-purpose meeting room, we have a beautiful horse barn, there's a hay barn, a tool shed and tractor barn,” Paul Ready said.
“To the children whose life has a few bumps in the road, we're here to smooth it out and to make it more enjoyable and pleasurable not only for them but their families,” Bridget Ready said.
