by Sasha Reddy
At the age of 37, Judy Freedman Hendrickson had not only never ridden a horse – she was also afraid of them. Living in Philadelphia at the time with a full-time job in sales and marketing, she decided to enroll in horseback riding lessons out in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, to help overcome her trepidation. Growth only happens outside of your comfort zone, and Judy was feeling ready to grow. That minor act of courage would catapult Judy into an unwavering passion for horses and a decades-long career serving individuals with special needs.
Just a few months after her riding lessons began, the company Judy had been working for was sold. She treated her newfound free time as a fresh start and began volunteering with a nearby therapeutic riding organization. Her love for the work was instant. Soon, she was volunteering with other equine therapy programs, spending every spare moment alongside horses and their riders.
It was like that calling – like, you figure it out when you’re meant to do something…
“I loved everything that it represented and how good it was making me feel,” Judy explains. “It was like that calling – like, you figure it out when you’re meant to do something, and the universe was just telling me, ‘You should do this.'”
So, she did.
While volunteering, Judy would meet with the directors of each organization and enthusiastically inquire: How do you find and train therapy horses? How do you grow a participant base? How do you run a program like this? Within three years of starting her riding journey, in 1993, she founded her own therapeutic horseback riding organization: Reins of Life.
Despite having no experience running a non-profit, she had a lot of social currency to help her get started. Through volunteering for nearby equine therapy programs and taking personal development courses, Judy made connections that would become vital in getting her non-profit up and running. She met a former mayor of Philadelphia, who would help Judy obtain her 501(c)3 status and even become a Reins of Life board member. Another woman, a former dressage competitor whom Judy met while standing in line waiting to make copies of the first published article about Reins of Life, would go on to become a board member and riding instructor for the organization.
When you’re so passionate about something, nothing stops you. The universe will just support it, and people will come.
“All these cool people were just coming and wanted to help,” Judy says. “When you’re so passionate about something, nothing stops you. The universe will just support it, and people will come.”
Still, it took time for Reins of Life to grow into the organization it is today. During the early years, the board would host their monthly meetings in Judy’s tiny studio apartment in Philly. Unfamiliar with how such meetings were supposed to run, she relied on her board members to guide the process and help bring the mission to life.
Then, there was the issue of hosting therapy sessions. In the early days, Judy and the team would build connections with farm owners who would welcome riders into their space for sessions and vet privately-owned horses to ensure suitability for riding. Meanwhile, Judy and team continued the search for a stable home.
Finally, in 2007, Judy and her partner of 15 years were able to buy their own property in Landenberg. Complete with a restored 1833 farmhouse, spring house, silo, and pasture, the property would not only become their primary residence but also a permanent home for all Reins of Life operations. Judy still remembers moving their horses into the new barn after a heavy snowfall on Christmas Eve that year. “The stall latches weren’t even officially on the doors of the stalls yet,” she laughs, “so we bungee-corded the doors.”
Today, after 32 years in operation, Reins of Life is supported by a team of 36 volunteers, four riding instructors, and five barn staff. Judy oversees the administrative side of things while her husband maintains the grounds. Reins of Life currently supports a wide range of participants – from two to 78 years old – living with challenges such as autism, Down syndrome, clubbed feet, cerebral palsy, arthrogryposis, and more.
Sessions are designed to build strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. Each session lasts 30 minutes, with most riders participating in sessions once per week. Instructors carry out the riding sessions while volunteers lead the horse and walk alongside riders, guiding them through fun but purposeful activities: grabbing small colorful flags from fences, steering around cones, balancing a toy egg on a spoon, or playing cornhole—all while on horseback. These games improve balance and muscle tone while giving participants a sense of joy and accomplishment.
Judy begins each new applicant’s journey with an intake call, then an on-site meet-and-greet. “We sit and talk in the tack room,” Judy explains, “I show them around. They get to see the horses from the field; if they come to the window when we’re inside, they can pet them.” Once their medical and liability releases are filed and riders have obtained their own equestrian riding helmet, therapy sessions can begin.
From Judy’s experience, equine therapy offers benefits that few other activities can match. Firstly, horses move three-dimensionally: up and down, front to back, and side to side. This movement creates the sensation of walking, which is especially beneficial for riders who use a wheelchair or crutches and may not get the same stimulus through other forms of therapy. This results in improved strength, balance, and coordination.
Then, there’s the social component. In addition to interacting with their horse, instructor, and side walkers during each session, riders are regularly invited to participate in other social activities. For example, Reins of Life hosts an annual Halloween Horse Show, where riders get to show off the skills they’ve learned and practiced during their time with the program and receive a trophy for their accomplishments. Last year, Reins of Life even hosted a celebration of life for two of their horses: Snip, who had passed many years ago, and Chrissy, who passed last Father’s Day. Participants and volunteers were invited to gather and spread the horses’ ashes across the pasture. Events like this help foster an engaged, supportive community among all Reins of Life staff, riders, and volunteers that endures beyond therapy sessions.
Perhaps most importantly, riding empowers participants with a sense of agency. Steering a horse, whether through physical cues like holding the reins or verbal commands like “walk on”, gives riders control and instills confidence and self-esteem.
Now 73, Judy still works full-time behind the scenes to ensure the continued success of Reins of Life. She pours her heart and energy into every aspect of the organization, from coordinating session schedules and volunteers to recruiting riders, organizing fundraisers, and everything in between. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. Over the years, Judy has seen participants taking their first unassisted steps in her driveway, non-verbal riders finding their voice to instruct their horses, and families moved to tears by the progress they never imagined possible. Getting to watch riding sessions take place just steps away from her home and playing a role in the growth of so many in need is a daily occurrence she wouldn’t trade for the world.
“It’s a lot of work,” Judy concludes, beaming. “But when someone asks, ‘How come you’re not retiring?’, I’m like, ‘Why? Why would I?'”
