Editor’s note: Jaclyn Combs, 16, a lifetime La Mesan who went to Lemon Avenue Elementary and Grossmont High School, wrote the following article as a project for High Tech High School, which she now attends. When she graduates, she plans to study political science or international relations.

Horsemanship for the Handicapped, a local charity that has announced it will be closing this coming spring, has been enriching the community of La Mesa since 1968.

Located on Russell Road on Mount Helix, Horsemanship serves the disabled community of San Diego County, offering hippotherapy to children with varying disabilities.

Hippotherapy is a form of therapy that involves riding horses to promote balance, posture, stamina, muscle development and coordination.

Horsemanship is available to everyone in San Diego as it runs solely through volunteers and donations, and the services are completely free. Every Saturday from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., Horsemanship welcomes families to bring their children to ride horses, makes friends and have fun.

Horsemanship uses four specially trained horses guided and spotted by Horsemanship volunteers and SPRITES, members of a mother-daughter philanthropic organization from East County, to assist the children in riding the horses around the ring.

The children are given the chance to develop their speaking skills and learn how to interact with the volunteers and other children.

Several volunteers and parents have truly witnessed the growth Horsemanship encourages in the kids.

Because of the therapy, children have been known to speak and interact more than their parents imagined they ever would.

Horsemanship has undoubtedly and positively improved and served the community. But after having its doors open for more than 40 years, Horsemanship will be closing this spring.

Although the service will be closing, the community of La Mesa will treasure the memories Horsemanship and its volunteers have made while fostering such a difference in the community.