G.A.I.T. began with a Board of Directors in 1995. In January 1996, G.A.I.T. was incorporated by its founder and Executive Director, Martha Dubensky. G.A.I.T. was formally organized as a Federal 501(c)(3) tax exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization in June 1997.

G.A.I.T.'s mission is "To improve the quality of life of children and adults with special needs resulting in a more independent life in society."

G.A.I.T. accomplishes its mission using its 10 specially-trained horses, professional NARHA Certified Instructors and dedicated, highly trained volunteers to provide equine activities and therapies for people with various disabilities.

G.A.I.T. would also not be as effective without the assistance of our state licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists. They are hired by G.A.I.T. to perform Hippotherapy Services.

Who Benefits From G.A.I.T.'s Services?

G.A.I.T. was established so that most people of any age with almost any disability could be addressed and aided by our equine activities and therapies. Our services and programs teach the participants to interact with others in non-destructive ways, communicate more effectively, and to improve their social skills.

Participants ages 2 - 80 years with the following disabilities have have been helped by using G.A.I.T.'s services:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)	Autism	Cerebral Palsy
Development Delays (DD)	Down Syndrome	Head Trauma
Mental Retardation	Multiple Sclerosis	Prader Willi Syndrome
Spina Bifida

Additionally, youth identified by their schools with "at risk" behaviors benefit from our Equine Facilitated Learning and Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy Programs.

Our Vocational Training Program helps young adults with special needs transition to other job sites and work opportunities.

And our Volunteer Opportunity Program helps many young adults gain valuable work experience which can lead to an interest in careers in Equine Science and gainful employment within the Equine Industry.

Moreover, working with people with special needs results in priceless "hands on" experience as required by most colleges for students who are interning or who are working toward their mental health career choice.

At G.A.I.T., many of our volunteers put their skills to work for us "just for fun" to help make our community a better place. These volunteers range in ages from young adults 12 years old through retirees over 80 years old! We thank them all!