Riding Therapy Grants

Horseback riding therapy comes in several forms. In therapeutic riding, students with physical, mental or emotional disabilities learn riding skills while also focusing on their particular therapeutic needs. Equine-assisted therapy is similar, but includes treatment beyond time spent in the saddle, and is frequently used by mental health professionals. Hippotherapy does not include learning to ride, but the horse's movement is used specifically to improve certain physical limitations. Hippotherapy is usually conducted by physical and occupational therapists.

  1. America's Horse Cares

    • The country's largest breed registry, the American Quarter Horse Association, provides grants for therapeutic riding through its "America's Horse Cares" program, in conjunction with Farnam, an official supplier of the AQHA. Any North American Riding for the Handicapped-approved organization may apply for grants. ARHA is the governing body for therapeutic riding organizations. Between 2005 and 2009, America's Horse Cares provided grants to between 10 and 12 NAHRA-certified organizations each year, totaling over $200,000.

      American Quarter Horse Foundation

      P.O. Box 200

      Amarillo, TX 79168

      806-378-5029

      aqha.com

    American Paint Horse Foundation

    • The American Paint Horse Foundation established a program to offer grants to several different types of therapeutic riding programs. Its goal is to raise $100,000 for distribution. In addition to grants to help children afford riding therapy, it also provides funding for eligible veterans in the Heroes on Horseback program. This therapeutic program is specifically for those who have served their country and were wounded or disabled, or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Foundation's Back in the Saddle program is designed to help injured riders begin horseback riding again.

      American Paint Horse Foundation

      2800 Meacham Blvd.

      Fort Worth, TX 76161

      817-834-2742

      aphfoundation.org

    American Hippotherapy Association Research Grants

    • These grants of up to $1,000 fund research studies to "demonstrate empirical evidence of the efficacy of hippotherapy with the potential for publication," according to the American Hippotherapy Association's general application criteria. Studies monitor functional outcomes of hippotherapy use, contrast it with other therapies for specific outcomes; develop appropriate assessment strategies for measuring outcome of treatment; and contribute to hippotherapy's theoretical basis. Grant recipients are expected to share the outcome of their studies with a peer-reviewed journal. Applicants must be specific about how they intend to use the grant, if funded.

      Anerican Hippotherapy Association

      9919 Towne Road

      Carmel, IN 46032

      877-861-4592

      americanhippotherapyassociation.org