“It’s not about their disabilities but rather about nurturing their unique abilities” is how Salisbury’s Karin Nifong sees her work as a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) mentor with Equi-librium since 2018. Their commitment to helping those with disabilities and teaching others to look beyond someone’s physical and/or mental health disabilities, is something important to Nifong, who recently spoke to The Press about her work, as well as why she and her husband chose Salisbury to raise their family.

Nifong’s love for horses started when she was a little girl growing-up in Germany. She would ride horses with her friends, as well as read equestrian novels. This passion for the equestrian way of life continued throughout her formative years.

She met her husband Charles, a captain in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, while working as a tour guide in a 17th Century castle. They moved to the U.S. in 2000, eventually settling here in Salisbury, which Nifong describes as being the perfect neighborhood to raise their two children.

“Being close to Lindberg Park, good schools, the perfect house and the true sense of what a neighborhood is, especially when you have children who want to celebrate Halloween or play in the park is so important. The fact that, no matter where you live in the township, you are minutes from the interstate, is also an advantage,” Nifong said.

Shortly after moving to Salisbury, Nifong learned about therapeutic riding. She earned her PATH certification in 2017 and became involved with Manito Equestrian Center.

It was during this time someone suggested she visit Equi-librium. What she thought would be a simple visit became an interview and she began working there in 2018.

As Nifong points out, with PATH, there are a strict set of rules and Equi-librium has built a variety of programs to help participants from different age groups, as well as physical and mental health challenges, within those rules.

The roots of the organization dates back to 1981, then known as the Monroe County Riding for the Handicapped, with a program geared toward helping children with cerebral palsy.

A merger with the Easter Seals of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos in 1987 changed its name to Easter Seal RISE before becoming the independent nonprofit organization known as Equi-librium in 2001.

There are a number of options for interested participants, whether it be equine-assisted movement, equine-assisted yoga or carriage driving, to name a few. Equi-librium also offers different seasonal programs, including popular summer camps. This is an organization that prides itself for its inclusion, and this way of doing things is what Nifong loves best about her workplace.

She spoke about how you shouldn’t look at someone with a disability and decide what they can’t do ... you need to focus on what they can do: what is their unique ability. For example, if you look at a child who is autistic and only focus on that aspect, you lose perspective in what they can offer society, which is to see the world in a spectrum most can’t but can learn from.

Nifong and her colleagues are passionate about their work, and the difference they are making in the lives of the participants, and hopefully of those who volunteer their time and skills.