Recognizing Happy Trails Riding Academy

Floor Speech

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Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Happy Trails Riding Academy as they celebrate their 40-year anniversary. Established in 1983 by T.J. Barreiro, Happy Trails Riding Academy is dedicated to serving individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. For four decades, their devoted staff and volunteers have provided equine-assisted services to children, adults, and military veterans, offering a unique alternative to conventional therapies. Happy Trails Riding Academy is the only full accredited therapeutic riding center in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants from across the San Joaquin Valley, including those living with autism spectrum disorder, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, sight and hearing impairments, and posttraumatic stress disorder, have benefited immensely from Happy Trails' programs. Equine-assisted therapy provides numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits to riders. Happy Trails collaborates with several national and regional non-profit organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior Program, VA Direct Services, United Ways of Tulare and Kings Counties, Quail Park Memory Care Unit, Central Valley Regional Center, and Tulare County Health & Human Services. Through these partnerships, they provide a nurturing environment for individuals with disabilities to improve their overall well-being and gain independence.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in celebrating Happy Trails Riding Academy on their 40-year anniversary. Their unwavering commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities in the Central Valley will have a lasting impact for years to come.

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