A day of giving back at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding

A group of people standing together holding farm tools in front of a fence with a riding center behind it. — A group of our employees who volunteered at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Center.

Employees from our site in Ridgefield, Connecticut spent a sunny afternoon volunteering at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding in Brewster, New York. While enjoying the outdoors, volunteers helped refresh this beautiful farm by gardening near the horse barn, painting fences, making walkways, and doing other needed farm work. The volunteer day was centered on lending a hand to a community partner and helping those who come to the farm for equine therapy.

This is the third year that we've hosted a volunteer event at Pegasus and it’s a tradition that we hope to continue for years to come.

Candice Sciarrillo, director of development at Pegasus, shared: “We’re grateful to have such a strong partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim; they’re an enthusiastic, passionate, and hardworking group of individuals. We also share an understanding of the importance of the human-animal bond and the power of horses to change lives.”

Through equine therapy, Pegasus helps people living with special needs, trauma, developmental disabilities, as well as emotional, social, and physical challenges. They use the connection between humans and horses to focus on mobility, building trust, improving relationships, and stimulating senses.

*A group of employees who volunteered by the stables at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding.*

Our employees even got the chance to meet these horses and understand the positive impact they have on people every day. They learned and experienced that spending time with horses is known to release oxytocin and lower cortisol levels leading to less stress and more joy. While our intention to volunteer is to help others, we’re also mindful that an event like this is beneficial for our employees too.

“Participating in this volunteer day was truly one of the highlights of my year so far. Pegasus does amazing things for people in need, and it was an honor to aid their cause,” said one of our employees, Matthew Fisher.

We encourage a culture of caring at our company, whether that’s for those around us, for our employees’ well-being, or for those in the communities we serve. These values also align with the ‘More Potential’ efforts of our Sustainable Development – For Generations (SD4G) Strategy, which is our commitment to continue providing good health for people and animals, the planet, and society.