Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center

  • Community
  • Education
  • Family
  • Health
  • Mental Wellness
  • Sportsmanship

Who We Are

Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center was established in 1985 and provides equine assisted activities to adults and children with a variety of physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges. 

Rainbow serves around 80 participants per week who come to us through scholarships, as private students, or through community and county-funded programs. 

Some riders want to improve mobility, others want to increase their ability to understand the world around them. The goals are as many and varied as the students who ride with us, but all of them want to change their lives for the better!  

Riders with mental health challenges develop emotional regulation and coping strategies, helping them manage anxiety and stress more effectively;  

Riders with physical disabilities experience increased motor skills, better balance, and coordination through structured riding activities, which help foster greater independence in daily life;  

And all our students develop increased confidence and resilience as they bond with horses and engage in goal-oriented tasks.  

The supportive environment we nurture at Rainbow encourages social interaction, reduces feelings of isolation, and benefits the wider community by fostering inclusivity and better understanding. 

Our team helps the riders to achieve their goals while creating a fun experience. The joy of being on a horse provides momentum to accomplish the goals that carry over into life beyond the farm. Participants usually come once a week as part of a 10-week semester. During lessons, they are assisted by up to three volunteers, and each lesson is led by a PATH Intl. Certified instructor.

Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center operates under the guidelines of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), our instructors are all PATH Intl. certified and Rainbow is a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center.

Rainbow relies on the generosity of its donors and volunteers to provide equine assisted activities to students of all ages. Our donors and volunteers make a huge difference in their lives: whether it's the magic of riding a horse that lifts a depressed teenager's spirit, when a Veteran bonds with a horse, or when a child in a wheelchair experiences the freedom of moving effortlessly on a horse.

What We Do

Also known as therapeutic riding, these goal-driven activities include riding, care of the horses, ground work, and communication with the horses. Some riders want to improve mobility, others want to increase their ability to understand the world around them. Our programs are highly individualized and our instructors adapt lessons to meet the needs of each student, ensuring a quality therapeutic program that creates trackable goals and measurable success.

Our team helps the riders to achieve their goals while creating a fun experience. The joy of being on a horse provides momentum to accomplish the goals that carry over into life beyond the farm. Participants usually come once a week as part of a 10-week semester. During lessons, they are assisted by up to three volunteers, and each lesson is led by a PATH Intl. Certified instructor.

Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center operates under the guidelines of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), our instructors are all PATH Intl. Certified and Rainbow is a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center.

Our volunteers are the backbone of all we do at Rainbow and last year alone they contributed more than 2000 hours to help us provide essential services to our growing number of students. To volunteer with us, click here or email volunteercoordinator@rainbowriding.org

Rainbow serves around 80 participants per week who come to us through scholarships, as private students, or through community and county-funded programs. If you are interested in joining the Rainbow program, please click here or email rainbow@rainbowriding.org

 

Details

Get Connected Icon (703) 794-5308
Get Connected Icon Marissa Mullins
Get Connected Icon Volunteer Coordinator
http://rainbowriding.org/