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Financial injection for Herner children: Riding therapy helps little fighters!
On September 2, 2025, Dr. Hübner made a 1,000 euro donation for riding therapy, which helps disabled children in Herne.
Financial injection for Herner children: Riding therapy helps little fighters!
Poignant support for children with special needs recently came from the healthcare industry: Dr. med. Jan Felix Hübner, the managing director of the Werksarztzentrum Deutschland GmbH, handed over a donation of 1,000 euros to Cordula Klinger-Bischof, the chairwoman of the Ruhrwerk Association. This generous gesture is intended to promote the association's equestrian therapy, which has been benefiting Herner children with disabilities for over 15 years. Dr. Hübner emphasized the importance of individual support for children with special needs. He symbolically presented the donation in the form of a colorful children's medical kit, which will certainly represent many positive moments.
Cordula Klinger-Bischof thanked her warmly for the support, which makes it possible to provide targeted support services for children with disabilities. Riding therapy, an integral part of the offering, supports deaf children and those with limited mobility to improve their motor skills and experience more joy in life.
Riding therapy as an elixir of life
Therapeutic riding has proven to be extremely effective in providing social and emotional support. According to the Veronika Foundation, riding lessons promote both physical well-being and fun. Contact with therapy horses helps children gain a feeling of being “carried,” which allows them to build inner balance and self-confidence. This approach aims to help children to be strong for daily challenges and to gain new courage to face life. The Veronika Foundation actively supports this important project and enables the expansion of special education group lessons.
Equestrian specialists and additional teaching staff accompany the children, who work in small groups of four participants each. Each group is supervised by a riding instructor and a horse manager, which enables intensive and individual learning. What is particularly noteworthy is that there are also special groups for young people with ADD and ADHD who find their own space to develop.
Multiple benefits of riding therapy
The healing aspects of horseback riding are immeasurable. The horse's movement has a calming effect on children with autism and helps to reduce tension and anxiety. A practical example is 16-year-old Gino, who takes part in the therapy as a wheelchair user. He benefits enormously from muscle stabilization even though he cannot stand. Gino is safely lifted onto the horse using a special lift.
The therapy is not only focused on physical progress, but also pursues emotional and social goals. Children report their worries to the horses, which often provides them with relief and helps them to process their challenging behavior. The success of this program is reflected in the participation of around 50 children, all of whom have different disabilities and mental illnesses, and who can take part in equestrian therapy from the age of three.
Comprehensive support for participants plays a crucial role, especially when additional support is needed, for example in the case of epilepsy, in order to be able to react quickly in an emergency. Here in Cologne there are concrete examples of how commitment and cooperation from various actors such as Company medical center Germany, the Ruhrwerk and the Diakoneo loving support is offered to little fighters.