Our Facilities

an accessible haven offering equine-assisted therapy

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Miracles in Motion operates a 77-acre farm located near Swisher, Iowa.  Our property includes enclosed and outdoor arenas, a sensory riding trail, and a stable with 13 stalls in our Busse Barn complex. The original farmhouse serves as our Director’s office, our property manager’s home, and a multi-use space.

With the incredible support of our community, a second outdoor arena and events pavilion were added in 2006. In 2020, a climate-controlled addition was added to our indoor arena and the pavilion was enclosed. In 2024, we completed *The Next InSTALLment*, and replaced our aging barn with the Busse Barn complex. 

We are proud to offer fully ADA-accessible facilities. Our enclosed arena features a mounting ramp and mechanical lift that ensure the safety and accessibility for riders with mobility aids. We use adaptive riding selected for each rider.
 

We are proud to offer fully ADA-accessible facilities. Our enclosed arena features a mounting ramp and mechanical lift that ensure the safety and accessibility for riders with mobility aids. We use adaptive riding equipment including saddles with peacock stirrups and grab straps for safety. Saddles and pads are selected with the rider's needs in mind. We use adaptive equipment in accordance with PATH International standards to allow riders to make the best use of their abilities.

Our programs usen the following areas:

  • A weather-protected arena with sand footing and dust-reducing sprinkler system
  • A small outdoor arena, Aspen's Arena, connected to our enclosed arena and the sensory trail
  • A large outdoor arena with an adjacent mounting ramp
  • A park-style enclosed pavilion for observation and gatherings
  • A 3-acre riding trail with sensory stations, including a bridge, a fish pond, musical instruments, mailboxes mounted at horseback height, and a noodle station 
  • The Lobby, an addition to the Upmier Arena housing a viewing area of the enclosed arena, kitchenette, therapy room, and an ADA-accessible restroom
  • The Busse Barn complex a 13-stall stable with wide, handicap-accessible aisles, tack room, and grain room
  • The Clubhouse: a multi-purpose, climate-controlled activity center with an ADA-accessible restroom, office, and laundry facility located within the Busse Barn

Are you interested in helping?

Our volunteers maintain the beauty and functionality of the Miracles in Motion grounds. If you'd like to join the team, please call (319) 857-4141 or send us email.

meet
a volunteer

The most meaningful part of my Miracles experience was the transformation I saw in the special-needs riders that participated in the therapeutic riding programs. To watch the rider's confidence increase and to witness his joy was an intense emotional experience for his care providers, the volunteers, and myself. I have been a mental health therapist for 40 years. Seldom have I seen the profound joy that was experiences by all of us at Miracles.

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in such an unexpectedly fulfilling experience. Admittedly, my initial motivation was to gain familiarity with horses, and at the same time, help out as a side-walker. I wasn't prepared for the emotional attachments to all those young riders, let alone a unique attachment to one particular rider. I realized that I'm not walking along side those kids, but rather walking along with them. Something happens inside as I hold on to them, feeling their struggles, their discomfort, and most familiar to me, their frustration.

Most uplifting, however, is sharing their joy, their laughter, and their sense of freedom and control.

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To watch the rider's confidence increase and to witness his joy was an intense emotional experience.