Saunders & Sallie Dixon
Thorncroft: Therapeutic Riding for Well-Being

Winston Churchill said “No hour spent on horseback is ever wasted.”
That is nowhere more evident than at the Thorncroft Equestrian Center
in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Thorncroft specializes in horseback riding for mentally, emotionally and
physically challenged individuals. Students with and without disabilities
work, ride and learn together. Throughout the year, visiting clinicians
and instructors from around the world, with years of experience, come
to share their knowledge with students of all abilities.

Since 1969, Thorncroft has grown from a program that served 5 to 10
riders a week to over 350 weekly riders today. The riding program offers
30 full and part-time staff members, 40 horses and 70 acres of bucolic
countryside in Chester County.

Sallie and Saunders Dixon will share an inspiring view of children and
adults finding a sense of completeness and well-being with the
unconditional love of these wonderful animals. Their mission is to help
build the physical, emotional and mental well-being of all people,
particularly those with special needs, through the establishment of an
atmosphere of cooperation, respect and love in an equestrian
environment.

If you’ve ever experienced the thrill of riding a horse cross country or in
a ring, or if you just know the joy of having a special relationship with an
animal or pet, you will appreciate the work being done at this
remarkable non-profit facility.