Empowering Strides is a non-profit organization providing therapeutic horsemanship to neurodiverse youth who face behavioral, emotional and/or cognitive challenges. Through the use of horses we can offer youth a different perspective. Horses often mirror the emotions of their handler which allows the horse to teach a child far easier than an authoritative figure. Horses gently encourage a new awareness and connection in people that grows a person’s self-awareness and leadership abilities.

Therapeutic horsemanship not only means learning to ride a horse, it means much more. Many of the children we work with build a bond with the horse they ride, learn to care, understand how horses perceive the world around them and the people they interact with, and how to be a leader to their horse.

At Empowering Strides we teach in a careful and supportive way. A trained volunteer works beside each rider throughout their lesson while a certified instructor leads all classes. We set individual goals for each rider and patiently work on skills such as communication, teamwork and fitness. And, yes, one of our goals is “just pure fun.” Every rider learns some measure of riding and horse skills, and some riders become quite accomplished.