Equest

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.

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

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

• Therapeutic horsemanship
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Adaptive riding programs
• Veterans therapy services
• Equine counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Client Services and Program Fees: Revenue generated from therapeutic horsemanship sessions, therapy services, and other program offerings for clients including children, adults, and veterans.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the nonprofit mission.
3. Horse Sponsorships: Sponsorship programs for therapy horses providing ongoing support for animal care.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue from annual galas, luncheons, and fashion shows including the Women's Auxiliary Luncheon and Annual Blue Ribbon Gala.
5. Scholarship Funds: Designated funds to support clients who need financial assistance for programs.
6. Legacy Giving and Estate Gifts: Planned giving programs including asset-based giving, estate gifts, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and life income gifts.
7. Corporate Team Building Workshops: Fee-based corporate workshops for team building experiences.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/Equest1981
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equest-horsemanship
• Instagraminstagram.com/equest
• Xx.com/equest_tx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Equest