An upcoming horse trail ride will benefit the Bit by Bit Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center at Rogers State University.
The Just For Fun Trail Ride will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Tom and Marilyn Walters Ranch, which is located off U.S. 169 between Collinsville and Oologah. The ranch gates will open at 8:30 a.m.
A lunch will be held at noon after the two-hour ride, and an optional two-hour ride will begin at 1 p.m. The cost is $25, with checks payable to the RSU Foundation/Bit By Bit.
The ride is sponsored by the Pure Pleasure Gaited Horse Association.
Bit-By-Bit, a collaborative program between RSU and Oologah-Talala Public Schools, promotes physical and mental health for those with special needs through horseback riding. The riding sessions help improve balance, walking, language and cognitive skills for participating clients. The program currently serves 73 riders, using 15 therapeutic horses and more than 120 volunteer hours donated by members of the surrounding communities each week, said Linda Barron, Bit by Bit director.
Proceeds from the event will be directed to the university’s $2.2 million fundraising campaign to construct an off-campus equestrian center to house the Bit by Bit program and the RSU Rodeo Team. Earlier this summer, the Frank and Wanda Sanders Family Trust donated 23 acres of land for the facility, which is located on U.S. 169 five miles south of Oologah.