TREE House of Greater St. Louis

What TREE House of Greater St. Louis does

TREE House of Greater St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers equine-assisted therapy and related services from a purpose-built 90-acre campus at 332 Stable Lane in Wentzville, Missouri. Founded in 1975 as Therapeutic Horsemanship and rebranded in 2014 to its current name — TREE standing for Therapy, Recreation, Education, and Exploration — the organization serves approximately 200+ individuals annually with disabilities (ages 2 through adulthood) and has cumulatively served more than 3,000 people across five counties in the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Its core programs include Hippotherapy and Equine-Assisted Therapy (delivered by licensed PTs and OTs using the horse's movement as a therapeutic tool), Adaptive Therapeutic Riding (PATH Intl. certified instructors), Equine-Assisted Mental Health (trauma-informed counseling), inclusionary Summer Camps for children ages 5–18, the TH Freedom Reins program for military veterans and active service personnel, and Virtual Services delivered via telehealth. Underlying capability rests on a herd of 20 specially trained therapy horses, PATH Intl. Premier Accreditation, AHA-credentialed clinical staff, an indoor riding facility plus outdoor arena, trails, and sensory trail, and a 200+ volunteer workforce supporting delivery.

The business model is a subsidized-fee-plus-donation hybrid. Clients pay only a fraction of the actual cost of services (specific program fees are not publicly disclosed), and the operating gap is funded through individual donations, corporate and community partners (Variety St. Louis, Schnuck's Gives Back, St. Charles County Kids), grants, NAP tax credits, and recurring sponsorship programs including Adopt-a-Horse and the Hay for a Day Club (monthly tiers of $10/$25/$40/$100). Go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven: prospective clients join a waitlist via Formstack registration, supplemented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email inquiries through department-specific addresses, and community partnerships. Virtual Services represent a self-serve/PLG delivery channel for remote therapy. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Amy Johnston, led by Executive Director Nathan Harms (since 2007), and supported by a clinical leadership team including Clinical Director Jamie Gehrin (joined 2022) and founder Sandy Rafferty, who remains active as a therapeutic riding instructor.

Name

TREE House of Greater St. Louis

Legal name

TREE House of Greater St. Louis

Website

https://thstl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TREE House of Greater St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit equine-assisted therapy center on a 90-acre campus in Wentzville, Missouri, serving 200+ children, adults, and veterans with disabilities annually across five Greater St. Louis counties through hippotherapy, adaptive riding, mental health, and summer camp programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wentzville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Client Service Fees: TREE House charges clients only a fraction of the actual cost of services to keep them affordable and accessible. The organization operates as a nonprofit and relies heavily on donations and grants to cover the remaining costs.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization depends on generous support from individuals, organizations, businesses, and foundations. Multiple donation programs include online donations, Adopt-a-Horse, Hay for a Day Club, in-kind donations, and memorial/tribute gifts.
3. Adopt-a-Horse Program: Monthly sponsorship or one-time payment to support specific therapy horse care including feed, medical supplements, training, and equipment.
4. Hay for a Day Club: Recurring monthly donations ($10, $25, $40, or $100/month) or one-time $40 donation to provide hay for therapy horses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TREE House of Greater St. Louis delivers equine-assisted therapy services to individuals with disabilities using a herd of specially trained therapy horses on a 90-acre campus in Wentzville, Missouri. Its core offerings include hippotherapy (physical and occupational therapy using horse movement), adaptive therapeutic riding instruction, equine-assisted mental health counseling, inclusionary summer camps, and the TH Freedom Reins program for military veterans. Services are provided by licensed therapists, certified riding instructors, and trained volunteers both on-site and virtually.

Product overview

TREE House of Greater St. Louis is a single-site nonprofit therapeutic riding center offering a unified portfolio of equine-assisted therapy services. The core offerings include Equine-Assisted Therapy (Hippotherapy), Adaptive Therapeutic Riding, Equine-Assisted Mental Health, Summer Camps, TH Freedom Reins for military/veterans, and Virtual Services. All services are delivered at one campus in Wentzville, MO, and are accredited by PATH Intl. as a Premier Accredited Center. Services are available year-round for individuals ages 2 through adulthood with various disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equine-Assisted Therapy (Hippotherapy)

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PATH InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTREE House is a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center, demonstrating adherence to the highest standards of safety and quality in equine-assisted therapy. PATH International provides certification, accreditation standards, and professional development for therapeutic riding centers.
• American Hippotherapy AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American Hippotherapy Association provides credentialing and standards for therapists using hippotherapy. TREE House staff are required to obtain or work toward AHA credentials as part of their professional qualifications.
• St. Charles County KidsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner organization supporting children and families in St. Charles County, Missouri.
• Variety St. LouisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVariety St. Louis is a children's charity supporting programs that help children with disabilities achieve their full potential, aligned with TREE House's mission.
• Schnuck's Gives BackminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTREE House is included in Schnuck's community giving program, allowing shoppers to support the organization through everyday purchases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hearts & Horses: PATH Intl. Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center in Loveland, Colorado providing equine-assisted activities and therapy for individuals with disabilities. Directly comparable as a similarly accredited nonprofit delivering PT/OT, mental health, and adaptive riding services from a dedicated campus.
• The Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding: PATH Premier Accredited center in San Juan Capistrano, California offering equine-assisted therapy, adaptive riding, and mental health services to individuals with disabilities. Closely comparable mission, accreditation tier, and multi-modality service mix to TREE House.
• BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding & Educational Center: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic horsemanship center in Harvard, Illinois serving individuals with disabilities and veterans. Comparable Midwest PATH-accredited model with veteran programming analogous to TREE House's TH Freedom Reins.
• GallopNYC: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic horsemanship nonprofit in New York City providing equine-assisted activities for individuals with disabilities and veterans. Directly comparable nonprofit structure, accreditation, and multi-segment client base.
• Mane Stream: PATH Premier Accredited equine-assisted services center in Oldwick, New Jersey offering hippotherapy, adaptive riding, and mental health programming. Highly comparable service portfolio and nonprofit operating model in a different region.
• National Center for Equine-Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT): Equine-assisted therapy nonprofit in Woodside, California serving children, adults, and veterans with disabilities. Closely aligned mission, accreditation, and multi-branch service portfolio similar to TREE House's TREE model.

Regional players

• Exceptional Equestrians of the Missouri Valley: Therapeutic riding organization referenced in TREE House's staff history as a previous employer of one instructor. Operates as a nearby regional peer providing adaptive equestrian services, partially overlapping the same Missouri Valley geography.
• Strides Toronto: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center in Toronto, Canada serving individuals with disabilities through equine-assisted therapy. Comparable service model in a different geography, useful as a cross-border benchmark for operating practices.

Emerging players

• Connected Horse: Nonprofit offering equine-assisted wellness programs for individuals with dementia and their care partners. Comparable in using horses as a therapeutic modality for a defined clinical population, though narrower in clinical scope than TREE House.

Broad incumbents

• SpiritHorse International: National network of therapeutic horsemanship centers headquartered in Texas operating multiple accredited sites. Comparable mission and service type, with a broader geographic footprint and franchise-style replication model that contrasts with TREE House's single-site approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thstl
• Instagraminstagram.com/thstl1975

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TREE House of Greater St. Louis