LAKE PARK — Two women are taking it upon themselves to provide a unique type of therapy to people of all ages.

Jan Kinsey and Tessa Carder of Hobby Horse Corral recently started their therapeutic riding program known as Horseback Heroes.

Although their budget was small, the duo has slowly been able to begin the program, starting on a small scale they hope will soon flourish with help from the community.

Kinsey has been operating Hobby Horse Corral for more than 20 years in south Lowndes County. She initially started as an educator for Lowndes County School System, where she worked for 33 years. She combined her love of teaching children with her skills as a horseback rider. She began teaching lessons part time and it evolved into a full-lesson program she operated while also keeping her job as an educator.

In 2012, Kinsey retired from the school system and turned her riding lessons into a thriving business.

It was also in 2012 when Kinsey reconnected with old friend Tessa Carder. Carder, also an experienced rider, spoke to Kinsey about riding lessons for her young daughter. Some of her fondest memories from her youth are riding horses on Thornhill Farm in Dasher and she wanted her daughter to experience the same fun.

Carder was certified in 2003 as a therapeutic horseback riding instructor through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. She taught therapeutic lessons in Macon.

During this time, she worked closely with licensed therapists and, along with the help of her boss, Robert Collins, started Horse and Rider Therapy Sports, or HARTS, at Beaver Creek Stables. In this program, she was able to give riding lessons to children and adults with special needs and at-risk children.

After becoming homesick, Carder decided to return to Valdosta. Her return led to her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Valdosta State University and work as a sexual assault advocate for The Haven. She also became certified in forensic interviewing, self-defense instruction, bullying prevention and suicide prevention.

While working for the Haven, she also attended multi-disciplinary team meetings at the Children’s Advocacy Center.

“I kept thinking, ‘These people need horses to help them heal,’” said Carder.

After a high-risk pregnancy with her second child, Carder decided to follow a career path that did not require being on-call and would lend itself to a more routine schedule.

Carder and Kinsey found themselves tossing around the idea of combining their passions into a local therapeutic riding program at Hobby Horse Corral. Kinsey said for years people inquired about lessons for people with special needs, but she wasn’t confident in pursuing this venture alone.

In 2013, the pair decided to get the program going. Kinsey was slowly able to make small improvements to Hobby Horse Corral, including the implementation of extra safety precautions. While there is still much to be done, both women feel it is coming along.

Carder will undergo the recertification process for therapeutic horseback riding under the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship.

Kinsey and Carder plan to host an open house for the Horseback Heroes Riding Program this fall at Hobby Horse Corral. They also hope to team up with Leslie Jacobs of Jacob’s Ladder in Hahira to host different events and shows for these riders.

For more information about the Horseback Heroes Riding Program, contact Tessa Carder by e-mail at tmcarder8610@yahoo.com. Hobby Horse Corral can also be found on Facebook at www.hobbyhorsecorral.com.

Hobby Horse Corral is located at 3342 Loch Laurel Road, Lake Park.