Equest
Equest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 in Dallas, Texas that delivers equine-assisted therapies and therapeutic horsemanship programs to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities, operating 30+ therapy horses and serving 800+ clients annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Equest does
Equest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic horsemanship organization founded in 1981 and headquartered at 811 Pemberton Hill Road in Dallas, Texas. Its core function is delivering equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) — therapeutic riding, physical and occupational therapy, equine-assisted counseling, a Veterans Program, the Reading Quest literacy initiative, Mini Horse Ambassadors, and interactive vaulting — to children, adults, and veterans with physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities. Service delivery is anchored by a single specialized facility, 30+ therapy horses, PATH International-certified instructors, and a large volunteer base.
The organization operates a hybrid revenue model. Earned revenue comes from client session fees, corporate team-building workshops, and fee-based instructor training and PATH workshops. Contributed revenue is the larger engine and is diversified across individual donations, corporate sponsorships (including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas), horse sponsorships, in-kind gifts, scholarship funds, annual events (Blue Ribbon Gala, Women's Auxiliary Luncheon & Fashion Show), and a structured legacy giving program covering asset-based giving, estate gifts, IRA QCDs, and life income gifts. At scale, Equest serves 800+ clients, conducts 6,000+ session hours, provides 19,000+ volunteer hours, reaches 1,500+ individuals through community outreach, and teaches 400 students annually via Reading Quest.
Operationally, Equest runs a single-site, regionally focused service model with a staff of 11-50 employees under CEO Lili Kellogg. It has no disclosed app, API, or software product surface; the technology layer is the equestrian facility and trained human/animal workforce rather than digital infrastructure. The 2025 Impact Report and IRS Form 990 (Tax ID 75-1823701) provide the principal financial and outcomes disclosures, and no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity are identified.
Equest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equest
- Legal name
- Equest
- Website
- https://equest.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Equest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 in Dallas, Texas that delivers equine-assisted therapies and therapeutic horsemanship programs to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities, operating 30+ therapy horses and serving 800+ clients annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Therapeutic Horsemanship Services
- NAICS
- Horses and Other Equine Production (11292)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equine Rehabilitation, Layup & Retirement Facilities (AFAEAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Equest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Equest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Client Services and Program Fees: Revenue generated from therapeutic horsemanship sessions, therapy services, and other program offerings for clients including children, adults, and veterans.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the nonprofit mission.
- Horse Sponsorships: Sponsorship programs for therapy horses providing ongoing support for animal care.
- Event Fundraising: Revenue from annual galas, luncheons, and fashion shows including the Women's Auxiliary Luncheon and Annual Blue Ribbon Gala.
- Scholarship Funds: Designated funds to support clients who need financial assistance for programs.
- Legacy Giving and Estate Gifts: Planned giving programs including asset-based giving, estate gifts, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and life income gifts.
- Corporate Team Building Workshops: Fee-based corporate workshops for team building experiences.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Equest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equest provides equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) through programs including therapeutic horsemanship, physical and occupational therapy, equine-assisted counseling, a veterans program, and the Reading Quest literacy program. Services are delivered at its Dallas, Texas facility using 30+ therapy horses and PATH-certified instructors, serving 800+ clients annually across more than 6,000 session hours.
Product overview
Equest is a therapeutic horsemanship organization offering a portfolio of equine-assisted programs including Therapeutic Horsemanship, Physical & Occupational Therapy, Veterans Program, Equine Assisted Counseling, and the Reading Quest Literacy Program. The organization operates as a single integrated service model where therapeutic riding, counseling, and therapy services are delivered through their Dallas, Texas facility. Additional offerings include Mini Horse Ambassadors for visitation programs, Corporate Team Building Workshops for organizations, and Interactive Vaulting as part of therapeutic activities. The core service delivery involves over 30 therapy horses delivering more than 6,000 session hours annually to approximately 800 clients including children, adults, and veterans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Reading Quest: Literacy program that teaches 400 students through the Reading Quest with Equest literacy program
Products and services
- Therapeutic Horsemanship Therapeutic horseback riding activities delivered by PATH-certified instructors using Equest's herd of 30+ therapy horses to enhance physical, intellectual, and emotional outcomes for children and adults with disabilities.
- Physical & Occupational Therapy
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 800+ clients annually including children, adults, and veterans
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Equest
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Equest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Equest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Equest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Ability Center: The National Ability Center offers equine-assisted therapy, adaptive sports, and recreation programs, including dedicated veteran programming, making it a strong functional peer to Equest's multi-disciplinary service portfolio.
- Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center: Little Bit is a Washington-state therapeutic riding nonprofit serving children and adults with disabilities through PATH-certified instruction, with similar scale, equine care operations, and donor-driven funding model to Equest.
- High Hopes Therapeutic Riding: High Hopes is a long-standing PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center offering equine-assisted activities, hippotherapy, and veteran services in Connecticut — directly comparable in mission, certification, and program breadth to Equest.
- BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding & Educational Center: BraveHearts is a therapeutic horsemanship nonprofit operating PATH-certified programs for children and adults with disabilities, including veterans, with multiple program lines closely mirroring Equest's service mix. It is the most operationally comparable peer.
- Healing Strides of Indiana: Healing Strides provides equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding to people with disabilities in Indiana. Its nonprofit, donation-funded model and rural facility operating structure make it directly comparable to Equest.
- REINS Therapeutic Horsemanship Program: REINS is a California-based PATH-affiliated therapeutic horsemanship nonprofit serving children, adults, and veterans with disabilities. Its program structure, fundraising model, and target populations closely align with Equest's.
- Mane Stream (formerly Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders): Mane Stream is a New Jersey therapeutic riding center offering equine-assisted activities and therapies to individuals with special needs, including veterans, with similar program structure and accreditation to Equest.
Others
- PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship): PATH International is the industry body that certifies Equest's instructors and accredits centers; it is an enabling/ecosystem organization rather than a service-delivery competitor and is the closest ecosystem analog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Equest social profiles
Digital presenceEquest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Equest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Equest
What does Equest do?
Equest provides equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) through programs including therapeutic horsemanship, physical and occupational therapy, equine-assisted counseling, a veterans program, and the Reading Quest literacy program. Services are delivered at its Dallas, Texas facility using 30+ therapy horses and PATH-certified instructors, serving 800+ clients annually across more than 6,000 session hours.
Is Equest a public or private company?
Equest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Equest founded?
Equest was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Equest based?
Equest is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Equest make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Client Services and Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions, horse Sponsorships, event Fundraising, scholarship Funds, legacy Giving and Estate Gifts and corporate Team Building Workshops.
Who are Equest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Ability Center, Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding & Educational Center, Healing Strides of Indiana, REINS Therapeutic Horsemanship Program and Mane Stream (formerly Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders). PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) is listed as an others.
Does Equest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equest.
What industry is Equest in?
Equest's product category is Therapeutic Horsemanship Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAGAJ, Equine Rehabilitation, Layup & Retirement Facilities. Its NAICS code is 11292 and its SIC code is 200.