WESTPORT, CT – August 31, 2010 – The Board of Directors of The EQUUS Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the award of its 2010 grants to 60 charitable organizations that use the horse to benefit the public; promote the horse’s health and welfare; and advance the equestrian sport.

The EQUUS Foundation is dedicated to securing homes and useful lives for horses, enhancing the lives of people who benefit from horses, and educating the public on the significant impact horses have in our every day lives.

Today, millions of people are involved with horses – recreationally, competitively, and therapeutically. Age is not a limitation – horses are helping children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Therapeutically, our equine partners have long been helping individuals bear the burdens of disabilities and debilitating diseases as well as those coping with economic disadvantages and at-risk situations.

Most recently, horses are coming to the aid of children with autism. Autism represents perhaps the fastest growing population who can benefit from equine therapies. Based on Center for Disease Control (CDC) data, an average of 1 in 110 children have been diagnosed with autism, a 57% increase in the rate of diagnosis based on a 4-year CDC study conducted from 2002 to 2006. A U.S. Department of Education study determined that autism diagnosis is growing at a rate of 10-17% year.

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