Health Directed Riding was created to help children with physical and cognittive disabilities in our rural community. The current social and political environment places tremendous emphasis on reducing spending for medical services. Patients who are not adequately represented are the first to feel the impact of reduced funding. This is particularly true for the state funded Medical Assistance Program, one of the primary resources for children in rural communities. Children with disabilities who live in rural areas have little or no representation. The limited resources currently available to theese children are being reduced or, in some instances, eliminated altogether. We believe that this result is unacceptable. We believe that all children with disabilities are entitled to have their needs met.