Our History
Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center established roots in Tyler Hill, PA and incorporated as a 501(c)3, not-for-profit organization in 2007 by the family of Art Goldberg. When Art could no longer work because of symptoms related to multiple sclerosis, his son Ben, an Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor, introduced this form of riding to Art and the family developed the farm in Tyler Hill for Art to receive the benefits from riding. After experiencing the positive results, Art, his wife Michele Sands, and Ben decided to share this non-traditional therapeutic form of horseback riding with the community. FHTRC initially focused on adults with MS but now provides services to children and adults with physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs.
Art and Michele retired from their work of running the organization in 2020 and shortly after, the farm was sold. It was at this time when the COVID pandemic hit and our program was forced to close. With hard work and support we reopened after the pandemic threat was over and now operate from two locations, Wynsum Equestrian Center in Damascus, PA and Maplewood Farms in Waymart, PA. Today the growth and structure of our organization is supported by an active, community-based Board of Directors dedicated to continuing to uphold the standard of excellence and integrity set by our founders and we are grateful for their tireless hard work, sacrifice and dedication to FHTRC’s mission.
What We Do
Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center provides Equine Assisted Services in Therapeutic, or Adaptive Riding and educates the community about its benefits.
Equine Assisted Services provides a platform to create a conduit between human and equine that rewards participants with enthusiasm and excitement while realizing multiple underlying achievements. Therapeutic, or adaptive riding skillfully makes the health benefits of horses and riding accessible.
Fair Hill’s judgment-free environment promotes independence and self-advocacy and developing the participants’ horsemanship skills in turn manifest into confidence-building, as well as physical and emotional strength.
Therapeutic Horsemanship
EAS in Horsemanship involves mounted and unmounted activities specifically designed for the individual needs of each participant. Horseback riding has a variety of physical, social and emotional benefits for our participants. Our Therapeutic Riding Instructors develop lesson plans that include activities and fun, creative games to develop horsemanship skills and provide the healthful benefits of interacting with horses.
Equine Assisted Learning
Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) activities promote the development of a variety of critical life skill areas. These skills are developed through hands-on, experiential activities that integrate equine-human interaction in a supportive environment.
Who Do We Serve?
Our participants range from very young, starting at age 4, to adult with a variety of diagnoses including but not limited to: cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, intellectual disabilities, downs syndrome, emotional disturbance, ADHD, sensory processing disorders and learning disabilities.
Strive to Thrive Expansion Project
In June of 2022 FHTRC expanded its service area to benefit a greater number of adults and children with physical, cognitive, and emotional and social disabilities. Because of the rural landscape of Northeastern PA this expansion has made Equine-Assisted Services more accessible to others in need. With funding for additional staff, equipment needs, growing our herd, and making facility upgrades to assure safety and standards, our vision is to expand our service area to include Wayne, Northern Pike, Susquehanna and Lackawanna Counties.
FHTRC will add unique programs in Equine Assisted Services to provide alternate methods of addressing diverse needs of both adults and children from our local communities. For this to happen funding and/or volunteerism is needed.
Our Board of Directors
Sally Wasylyk – President
Sally has been volunteering at Fair Hill for at least 11 years. She is a retired special education teacher who came to know FHTRC when she began bringing her classes to participate in the program. After retirement in 2013 she served as coordinator for the school programs. She is an individual member of PATH International and Council for Education and Certification in Therapeutic Horsemanship. Sally grew up at her parent’s riding stable in NJ where she participated in 4-H, Pony Club, and competitive riding. She resides in Prompton, PA with her husband, Steve.
Jean is a retired nurse with 40 years’ service at Wayne Memorial Hospital. She lives in Waymart, PA with her husband and son. Her son, Sean, an adult with ASD, has benefited tremendously through equine assisted activities provided by Fair Hill. She passionately serves as a board member because she would like to see the program expand in this area. Jean is organizer of Bowling for Autism.
Jean Waters - Secretary
Marie Bishop
Director
Marie Bishop is the parent of an adult with autism who has been receiving equine therapy at Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center since 2015. Marie resides in Waymart with her husband and two sons. She has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and has held various engineering positions with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation since 1992. Marie is currently the Planning & Programming Manager for Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wyoming, Susquehanna and Wayne Counties.
Courtney Eichensehr
Director
Lifelong resident of the Hawley/Honesdale area. Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Penn State, 6 years’ experience in Human Resources, and volunteer experience at Billy’s New Hope Barn and Marley’s Mission. She specializes in recruiting, staffing, personnel issues, investigations and employee relations.
Courtney serves on the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance and is a graduate of the 2022 Leadership of the Northern Pocono’s program. She is also active in the equestrian community & several local businesses.
Courtney states she is excited to join the board and to contribute in any way possible and is hopeful that her experience and connections in the community will prove useful for FHTRC.
Johnathan Rich
Director
Jonathan was an investment banker for roughly 30 years having raised in excess of $5 billion for over 400 companies during his time within the healthcare, technology and financial services sectors. He recently started his own consulting firm, Sophia Advisors, of which he is Founder and CEO providing management and financial consulting services to businesses. He sits on the Board of and chairs the Finance Committee for 11th Hour Rescue (www.ehrdogs.org), is a mentor for America Needs You (ANY), volunteers for The Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains, NJ and is active is several other civic and philanthropic causes. He resides in Flanders, NJ with his wife Suzanne, twin boys Zachary and Noah, and four legged kids Ozzie and Millie.
Nicole Mauro
Director
Nicole is a disabled veteran who served in the United States Air Force from 1997-2000 in Computer Security. During her military service she was recognized for her time management skills, administrative skills, and for community involvement. Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to her for her achievements in the areas of community safety, and project completion.
She served as the Director of Business Development at St. Joseph’s Institute for Addiction and was Marketing Director at Progressive Health of Pennsylvania.
She was interested in joining the board to help the community come together with horses to bring joy. She feels her extensive marketing degree and experience with social media and fundraising will be assets to FHTRC. Nicole resides in East Stroudsburg.
Steven Tourje – Director
Steven is President of NEP Telephone located in Forest City, PA. He is a Wayne Memorial Health Center board member, past Carbondale YMCA board member, and serves on the Chamber Board. He lives in Thompson, PA with his wife and daughter.
Charlie Schaefer - Advisor to the Board
Charlie is a SCORE representative and insurance executive. He is owner of Schaefer’s Acres Vacation Rental in Pleasant Mount.
Learn More About How You Can Help Make a Difference by Becoming a Volunteer or Donate Today!
Sally Wasylyk – President
Sally has been volunteering at Fair Hill for at least 12 years. She is a retired special education teacher of 36 years who came to know FHTRC when she began bringing her classes to participate in the program. After retirement in 2013 she served as coordinator for the school programs. She is an individual member of PATH International and the Council for Education and Certification in Therapeutic Horsemanship. Sally grew up at her parent’s riding stable in NJ where she participated in 4-H, Pony Club, and competitive riding. She resides in Prompton, PA with her husband, Steve.
Jean Waters - Secretary
Jean is a retired nurse with 40 years’ service at Wayne Memorial Hospital. She lives in Waymart, PA with her husband and son. Her son, Sean, an adult with ASD, has benefited tremendously through equine assisted activities provided by Fair Hill. She passionately serves as a board member because she would like to see the program expand in this area. Jean is the organizer of Bowling for Autism.
Treasurer - Position Currently Open
We are in the process of selecting a highly qualified individual to join our Board of Directors as Treasurer. This role is vital to supporting the financial health and sustainability of our organization, and we look forward to announcing the new treasurer soon.
Dana Scott
Director
Dana live in Lake Ariel with her husband, Stephen and 3 dogs, Maggie, Dakota, and Sammy. She started Trust Mortgage, a branch of her family’s business, over three years ago. Dana is the past Treasurer and current President of Honesdale Rotary and a committee member serving the Chamber of the Northern Poconos. As a past equestrian and grandma of a special needs granddaughter, Dana knows how important Fair Hill’s mission is. When she is not involved in community projects, Dana spends time with her husband and dogs going on different adventures.
Marie Bishop
Director
Marie Bishop is the parent of an adult with autism who has been receiving equine therapy at Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center since 2015. Marie resides in Waymart with her husband and two sons. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and has held various engineering positions with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation since 1992. Marie is currently the Planning & Programming Manager for Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wyoming, Susquehanna, and Wayne Counties.
Jacilyn Fritsch
Director
Residing in Honesdale, PA, Jacilyn comes to Fair Hill with multiple years of experience in human services, case management, and counseling. She has proven expertise in criminal justice and human services and is adept at case management, documentation, supervision, and more. She has an associate’s degree in human services and criminal justice counseling.
She is motivated to serve on the board because she is passionate about the transformative power of therapeutic riding and its ability to enhance the physical, emotional, and social well-being of individuals with diverse needs. Fair Hill’s mission to provide a supportive and inclusive environment aligns closely with her values of fostering growth, independence, and healing through innovative therapies.
By joining the board, she hopes to help shape the strategic direction of Fair Hill and make a meaningful difference in the lives of the individuals and families it serves.
Vera Remes
Director
Vera Ann Remes is delighted to become a member of the Board of Directors of the Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center. She lives in northeastern Pennsylvania with her retired police horse, a trusted partner when she served in a mounted unit in New Jersey. She also shares her home with a service dog in training and her spouse. She’s had the privilege of teaching special needs students for 11 years and holds degrees as a Teacher and Learning Disabilities Specialist. In addition to her educational background, she practiced law for many years. Currently, she practices the varied aspects of Equine Assisted Services at barns in the surrounding area. She is a Path Int. Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning Workshop Faculty, as well as a Path Int. Certified Facilitator in Equine Assisted Learning. She completed a course to become a certified Facilitator for Horse Powered Reading® and Math. These experiences have given her a unique perspective and she has a deep passion for the transformative power of equine-assisted learning. She is eager to bring whatever expertise she has in program development to FHTRC and is looking forward to a fantastic journey together!
Jonathan Rich
Director
Jonathan was an investment banker for roughly 30 years having raised in excess of $5 billion for over 400 companies during his time within the healthcare, technology and financial services sectors. He recently started his own consulting firm, Sophia Advisors, of which he is Founder and CEO providing management and financial consulting services to businesses. He sits on the Board of and chairs the Finance Committee for 11th Hour Rescue (www.ehrdogs.org), he also sits on the Board and Audit committee of The Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org) is a mentor for America Needs You (ANY), volunteers for The Interfaith Food Pantry in Morris Plains, NJ and is active is several other civic and philanthropic causes. He resides in Flanders, NJ with his wife Suzanne, twin boys Zachary and Noah, and four legged kids Ozzie and Millie.
Colleen Rhyne
Director
Colleen is a local business owner with a passion for helping people and working with horses. She brings to the board over 35 years of management, operations, sales, marketing and accounting experience. She is a graduate of WGU with a Bachelor of Science in accounting.
She volunteers at Countryside Conservancy and at the Lacawac Sanctuary serving as a committee member for both places. Colleen has years of experience with horses and currently has two of her own. In her spare time, she runs a small art studio with her daughter, Liz.
Charles T. Schaefer
Advisor to the Board
Charlie has more than forty years’ experience in the management, development, implementation, marketing, and operation of computer-based information systems for the financial services industry. Charlie specializes in management consulting, providing business planning services, aligning information technology to business objectives as well as identifying opportunities to use information technology as a competitive resource to clients. Charlie employs business information planning methodology, and selected consulting services to improve organizational effectiveness, business and technical processes, and the effectiveness of information management resources.
Steven Tourje
Director
Steven is President of NEP Telephone located in Forest City, PA. He is a Wayne Memorial Health Center board member, past Carbondale YMCA board member, and serves on the Chamber Board. He lives in Thompson, PA with his wife and daughter.
Nancy Van Wyk
Director
Nancy is a seasoned professional in clinical mental health, boasting over a decade of experience in counseling, research, and education. She has received a master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marywood University and is presently a Doctoral candidate at North Central University in Marriage and Family Therapy with a Specialization in Military Families. She has dedicated her career to understanding and treating the nuanced psychological challenges diverse populations face.
After completing her undergraduate studies in psychology, Nancy pursued a master’s degree to deepen her understanding of mental health theories and therapeutic practices. Her graduate research focused on the therapeutic benefits of animal-assisted therapy, which laid the groundwork for her future specialization. After graduation, she attained licensure as a Professional Counselor and embarked on a professional journey spanning various settings, including private practices, community health centers, and educational institutions.
A significant milestone in Nancy’s career was achieving certification as a PATH International Certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. This specialized training, combined with her passion for horses and therapeutic healing, allowed her to pioneer innovative equine-assisted therapy programs. These programs have been instrumental in assisting clients with trauma, anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities, providing them with new avenues for communication, self-awareness, and recovery.
Nancy is an active member of several professional associations and regularly contributes to scholarly publications and conferences. Her research interests include the efficacy of equine-assisted therapies, multicultural counseling competencies, and the promotion of mental health awareness in underserved communities.
Outside the office and classroom, Ms. Van Wyk continues her advocacy for mental health through volunteer work, community workshops, and as a consultant for mental health initiatives. Her dedication to the field and innovative approach to therapy and education make her a respected figure in mental health counseling and equine-assisted therapy.
Board of Directors
We are always seeking qualified individuals to serve on our Board of Directors. By becoming an active member you have the opportunity to be a part of the future success and sustainability of Fair Hill Therapeutic Riding Center to fulfill its mission.