Fort Worth-based RIDE TV, which officially launched its channel in October 2014, is the first 24-7 television network fully devoted to the horse lifestyle.
"One thing that's important to us is that much of the North Texas economy is connected to the horse industry," says the network's CEO Michael Fletcher. "We're proud that RIDE TV was born in Fort Worth."
"From the very beginning, we wanted our programs to be about lifestyle," Fletcher says. "We didn't want a cowboy channel or a Western channel. You can clip people up showing riding or training horses. There's a place for that, and it's called the Internet. We wanted to create compelling content that's going to be about people."
One of the ideas RIDE TV produced is about hippotherapy, or therapeutic riding. That was the basis for its program Horses That Heal. Featured on the show was Cleburne-based nonprofit Wings of Hope. Founded in 1996, the organization provides equine-assisted therapy for children and adults with diagnosed disabilities. Currently, their youngest rider is three years old and the oldest is 78.
"Horses That Heal has universal appeal," Fletcher says. "Chances are that most people going into a therapy program have never been around a horse much. The audience watching at home can relate to that. You have military veterans, people that are injured in accidents, children that have been born with autism-all kinds of challenges. This amazing healing power that horses have touches everyone."
Wings of Hope helps riders that have emotional or learning disabilities by giving them the self-esteem they earn after learning to ride a horse, says Julie Rivard, the organization's Director of Operations.
"We work on learning colors, letters and numbers, while having the horse there as a catalyst to learn quicker."
Rivard says riders learn about discipline, emotional control and appropriate social behavior. "With the horse there as our so-called "carrot", we can get that rider to follow directions, and this translates to what they're doing at home," she says.
Wings of Hope also provides equine-assisted therapy for physical disabilities.
"One thing we're going to do with RIDE TV is air free commercials and promos for all of these therapeutic riding facilities that contact us to help them during their capital campaigns," Fletcher says.
For more information about RIDE TV, visit ridetv.com. For more information about Wings of Hope Equitherapy or make a donation, visit their website at wingsofhopehorses.org.
