Ropes & Roses Therapy Services

Apparently, even Vikings needed a reminder. 😂⛑️🐴

At Ropes & Roses Therapy Services, we believe adventures with horses should come with plenty of smiles, meaningful connections…and a helmet.

Whether you’re a Viking heading into battle or simply spending time in the saddle, protecting that amazing brain of yours is always a good idea. ❤️

Helmets may not be the most glamorous part of equine activities—but neither is a preventable head injury.

Safety first. Connection always. And yes…wear the helmet. 😉

We couldn’t resist sharing this one! 😂

Danish Road Safety Council / Helmet has always been a good idea Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Come on out and have some fun before school starts. We love being able to be a host site for Cultivating Community and Wellness activities.

How to Tame Meltdowns and Manage Transitions

🍎 Back-to-School Isn’t Just a Transition for Kids…It’s a Transition for Their Nervous Systems, Too. 🐴💚

As families prepare for a new school year, many parents notice something confusing:

Your child holds it together all day at school…then comes home and completely falls apart.

Tears.
Meltdowns.
Big emotions over seemingly small things.

If this sounds familiar, know this: your child isn’t necessarily giving you a hard time—they may be having a hard time.

Transitions of any kind—starting school, changing routines, moving, welcoming a new sibling, returning from vacation, or even shifting from one activity to another—can place extra demands on a child’s developing nervous system.

Research continues to show that movement, sensory experiences, and rhythm play an important role in helping children regulate their emotions and bodies. Some children who struggle with self-regulation may also benefit from an occupational therapy evaluation to determine whether sensory processing differences, retained primitive reflexes, or other developmental factors are contributing to their challenges.

💛 Here are a few ideas that may help during times of transition:

🌿 Build predictable routines whenever possible.
🐢 Slow down and allow extra transition time.
💚 Validate your child’s feelings before trying to solve the problem.
🎵 Use rhythm to help regulate the nervous system—walking together, swinging, rocking, dancing, drumming, deep breathing, or listening to calming music.
🤗 Remember that connection is often more effective than correction when emotions are running high.

At Ropes & Roses Occupational Therapy, our occupational therapists Karol Santistevan, OTR/L, ASDCS, DIR/Floortime and Genie Hensley, COTA/L, ESMHL, ADHD-RSP, CTRI are trained in Rhythmic Movement and Primitive Reflex Integration techniques as part of a comprehensive occupational therapy approach.

One of the beautiful things about equine-assisted therapy offered at Ropes & Roses Therapy Services is that horses naturally provide rhythmic, repetitive movement, along with calming sensory input that can help support regulation, body awareness, and nervous system organization. As trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry reminds us: 🐎

“Rhythm is regulating.”

Every child deserves to feel successful—not just at school, but at home, too.

If your family is navigating a challenging transition, we’re here to help. ❤️

https://moveplaythrive.com/resources/blog/conditions-and-indicators-of-retained-primitive-reflexes/how-to-tame-meltdowns-and-manage-transitions

🌻🐴 Join Us for Barn Days at Ropes & Roses! 🐐🐑 🐕 🐈 🤠

Ropes & Roses Therapy Services is excited to partner with Cultivating Community and Wellness, a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together through meaningful experiences, for three fun-filled Barn Days this summer!

📅 Upcoming Dates:
🌼 July 18
🌻 August 15
🍂 September 19

🕘 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 3905 Ten Mile Road, Casper (RSVP)

Families will rotate through four 30-minute stations, giving everyone a chance to:

🐴 Meet the animals- 🐎🐑🐐🐕🐈
🎯 Play farm games
🎨 Create a fun craft
🌱 Learn a hands-on farm skill

We encourage everyone to participate in all four activities for the full Barn Days experience!

👨‍👩‍👧 Children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

📞 Please RSVP to Tisa at 307-277-2979.

While there is no cost to attend, donations are greatly appreciated and help support future community programming.

We can’t wait to welcome you to the farm for a morning of learning, laughter, and making memories together! ❤️🐴

Did you know? Not everyone working with animals is qualified to provide Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT).

While animals can have a naturally calming, comforting, and therapeutic presence, they are not the therapists.

Animal-Assisted Therapy is a goal-directed clinical intervention that must be delivered by a suitably qualified and registered health professional working within their scope of practice.

This may include psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, social workers, and other registered health professionals who are providing treatment and working alongside an animal as part of the therapeutic process.

The animal plays an important role in supporting engagement, motivation, and therapeutic outcomes, but the assessment, treatment planning, clinical reasoning, and delivery of therapy are the responsibility of the qualified professional.

Simply spending time with an animal can be beneficial—but that alone does not make it therapy.

Understanding the difference helps protect clients, maintain professional standards, and ensure that people receive safe, ethical, and evidence-informed care.

A morning of service, teamwork, and heart. ❤️🐴

Before the arena filled with smiles, laughter, and unforgettable moments, there was a dedicated team working behind the scenes to make it all happen.

This morning, the Ropes & Roses Therapy Services team was honored to participate in the Special Olympics Rodeo during the College National Finals Rodeo. From loading trailers early morning to grooming, saddling, and preparing our incredible therapy horses, every volunteer—and every horse—played an important role.

These photos capture the moments before the event began: the teamwork, the preparation, the anticipation, and the love and care that go into every opportunity we have to serve our community.

We are so grateful for our amazing volunteers, our incredible horses, and the opportunity to share the healing power of the human-animal bond. Events like this remind us that some of the most meaningful moments happen long before the audience arrives.

And because our horses always keep us humble… 😂🐴 One of our four-legged teammates made sure to leave their mark before we headed into the arena. Some traditions never change!

Thank you to the organizers for inviting us to be part of such a special morning, and thank you to everyone who helped make today possible. It was an honor to be there, and we’re proud to support an event that celebrates courage, determination, inclusion, and joy.

❤️ Together, we’re building confidence, creating connections, and proving that every ride has the power to change a life.

🐴💩

Please share to families with kids who have lost a loved one.

Ropes & Roses Therapy Services is honored to host grief camp in partnership with Central Wyoming Hospice & Transitions. Registration thru hospice at the link below.

Kids can attend either June 22-25 or June 27-July 2.

Healing looks different for kids.🐴

Sometimes it looks like laughter in the middle of hard feelings.
Sometimes it looks like quiet moments, new friendships, or simply knowing they are not the only one.

Kids’ Grief Camp creates space for all of that.

Through connection, activities, and time outdoors, children and teens can begin to process loss in a way that feels natural to them, supported by people who understand.

Open to youth ages 6 to 16 who have experienced the loss of a family member or friend.

Two summer sessions available. Space is limited.
📸 Picture from Ropes & Roses

Learn more or register:
centralwyominghospice.org/series/kids-grief-camp-2026/

We’re bringing this message to the AG community—and we need your help.

Out here, we take care of our own.

But the truth is… too many people are carrying more than anyone can see.

That’s why Ropes & Roses Therapy Services, in partnership with the nonprofit Cultivating Community & Wellness, is creating a public mural with a simple, powerful message:

Don’t Check Out. Check In.

This isn’t just art.
It’s a reminder—to our neighbors, our families, and our ag community—that connection matters, and no one has to carry it alone.

On the back side, we’re including real support:
📞 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline
📞 AgriStress Helpline for farmers & ranchers

Because awareness only matters if people know where to turn.

⸻

We’re currently looking for sponsors to help bring this project to life.
ropesandrosestherapy.com/988mural

Your support helps us:
• Complete the mural installation
• Print and distribute outreach materials across Wyoming
• Connect more people to life-saving resources

✨ All donations are tax-deductible through our nonprofit partner, Cultivating Community & Wellness.

⸻

If this message matters to you—or to someone you love—please consider being part of it.

📩 Message us or call to sponsor or learn more
(or comment below and we’ll reach out)

⸻

Out here, we look out for each other.

Let’s make sure no one slips through the cracks.