For many individuals with disabilities or special needs, horseback riding serves as a vital form of therapy. However, saddling a horse is not always feasible. ManeGait Therapeutic Horsemanship in McKinney has found a solution.​ Once a week, Emerson Sieling walks the path at ManeGait before sadd ling up on her pal, Samson. When riding isn’t an option, she utilizes the center’s horse simulator, which mimics the movements of a horse and allows Emerson and her instructor to focus on critical skills. “What we’re trying to do is help her with her core strength and leg strength,” said ManeGait riding program director Sarah Bisel. “She has an event coming up where she wants to walk during an event and not be in her wheelchair and so we’re focusing on helping her achieve that goal.” ManeGait is among the few therapeutic riding centers in the U.S. to offer this kind of simulator in its program. “I love it,” said Emerson, who will turn 18 this weekend. She calls ManeGait her “happy place.” Diagnosed with cerebral palsy and seizure disorder, Emerson began coming to ManeGait as a toddler. Doctors told her mother she’d never talk or walk, but she proved them wrong. “A lot of hard work on Emerson’s part. She’s been through 35 surgeries in her short life and has rehabilitated through all of them coming to ManeGait,” said her mother Andrea Sieling. “All the ‘No’s’ we were given have turned into ‘Yeses.’ Emerson is now a competitive rider with a room full of award ribbons.​ Patricia Nelson, ManeGait’s executive director, highlighted the therapy’s impact: “For a lot of our riders, they say that this is the only therapy that really makes an impact.”​ The nonprofit is undergoing a massive expansion project, known as The Beacon Project, which includes a second covered arena, a 32-stall horse barn, a new administrative building, a brain-building therapy center, a multi-use event area, and a 75-seat conference space. This expansion is expected to be completed by November 2025 and will double the number of people they’ll be able to help each week. ManeGait currently has a waitlist of over 400 individuals. ...read more read less