Adaptive Riding & Horsemanship

What We Offer

Empowering individuals through connection, skill-building, and growth - on the horse or beside it.

At High Horses Center for Equine-Assisted Services, we offer adaptive equine programs that support learning, confidence, and personal development for individuals of all abilities. Whether you're riding or working alongside horses, every session is led by certified professionals and tailored to meet your individual needs and goals.

Adaptive Riding Lessons

For those who want to learn to ride in an inclusive, supportive setting.

Our Adaptive Riding program is designed for individuals with physical, cognitive, or emotional challenges who want to enjoy the experience of horseback riding while building valuable skills. These lessons are recreational in nature but can also support physical strength, communication, and emotional growth.

Adaptive Riding may be a great fit if you:

  • Have a goal of learning to ride and enjoy horses

  • Benefit from individualized instruction and adaptations

  • Are working on posture, balance, core strength, or attention

  • Thrive in structured, skill-based activities

  • Want to engage in a joyful, recreational experience

Sessions are taught by PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors (CTRI), with the option to involve a licensed therapist or mental health practitioner when additional support is appropriate.

Horsemanship Ground Lessons

For those who want to grow confidence, build relationships, and connect with horses—without riding.

Our Horsemanship Ground Lessons offer hands-on, experiential learning for those who prefer or need to work with horses from the ground. These sessions help individuals improve communication, empathy, and emotional regulation through interactive activities with horses.

Participants engage in activities such as:

  • Grooming, haltering, and leading

  • Understanding equine behavior and body language

  • Groundwork, lunging, and obstacle navigation

  • Practicing mindfulness, trust-building, and problem-solving

These sessions are ideal for individuals who are not yet ready to ride, prefer to stay on the ground, or are seeking a unique path to personal development.

We work with children, teens, and adults of all ages and abilities. Our participants may be navigating:

Physical disabilities or developmental delays

Autism spectrum disorders

Sensory integration challenges

Emotional, behavioral, or mental health concerns

Learning differences

Recovery from trauma or adverse experiences

Our instructors are trained to adapt each session to the needs of the individual, creating a respectful, goal-driven, and engaging experience.

Who We Serve

Benefits of Adaptive Riding & Horsemanship

Whether in the saddle or on the ground, working with horses provides dynamic opportunities for growth, learning, and connection. Our adaptive programs are designed to meet each participant where they are—supporting physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development through intentional, horse-centered experiences.

  • Improved balance, coordination, and motor planning through mounted or movement-based activities

  • Increased core strength, posture, and body awareness from engaging with horse movement or groundwork

  • Boosted confidence, independence, and a sense of accomplishment through skill-building and progression

  • Enhanced communication, listening, and social interaction with horses and humans

  • Strengthened emotional regulation, patience, and resilience in a supportive, structured environment

  • Development of trust, empathy, and leadership through building safe relationships with horses

  • Opportunities for mindfulness, sensory integration, and presence in a natural setting

  • Personal empowerment through achieving individual goals in partnership with a responsive, nonjudgmental animal