What HorseAbility does

HorseAbility Center for Equine Facilitated Programs is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993 by Kathleen (Katie) McGowan and headquartered on a 20-acre campus at SUNY Old Westbury in New York. It delivers equine-assisted therapy and educational programs, including adaptive riding lessons, hippotherapy (OT, PT, and SLP using equine movement under PATH International standards), Camp HorseAbility summer day camp, the G.O.A.L.S. life skills program for adults 18+, and the LIHSSRD competition series (established 2005) which culminates at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Additional programs include driving lessons, field trips, the HorseAbility for Heroes veterans program, corporate team building, mobile miniature horse visitation to hospitals and nursing homes across Long Island to Staten Island, and PATH instructor certification training. The organization is one of only two PATH International Premier Accredited Centers on Long Island.

The underlying service model is labor- and credential-intensive rather than technology-based: 15+ PATH-certified therapeutic riding instructors, 7 licensed therapists (OTs, PTs, SLPs), a Program Director, Program Operations Manager, Bookkeeper, and founder/Executive Director operate alongside a 14+ volunteer base and college internship pipeline. The facility comprises three outdoor arenas, an indoor arena completed in 2018, and the historic 27,000 sq ft Clark Stables Brick Barn with 22 stalls, hay loft, classrooms, therapy rooms, and offices.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid fee-for-service and donation model: program and lesson fees, summer camp tuition, LIHSSRD competition fees ($25 membership + $35/class), recurring horse sponsorship subscriptions (e.g., $330/ton hay, $420/week grain, $750/month bedding), naming and banner sponsorships, Community Connections corporate sponsorships, and donations (the organization states 80% of donated dollars go to program support). The target customer segments are highly diversified — children and adults with special needs (primary), veterans, school districts and BOCES programs, healthcare and senior care facilities, and corporate/community groups — with go-to-market driven by direct enrollment, professional referrals, partnerships (Special Olympics, Girl Scouts, Hampton Classic, PATH International, SUNY Old Westbury), and community-led volunteer and event-driven fundraising.

Name

HorseAbility

Legal name

Camp HorseAbility Inc.

Website

https://horseability.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HorseAbility is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in Old Westbury, New York, delivering equine-assisted therapy, hippotherapy, adaptive riding, and educational programs for individuals with special needs, veterans, and seniors across Long Island and the New York metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equine-Assisted Therapy and Therapeutic Riding Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport/Show Horse Training & Performance Programs (AFAEAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Horse Boarding, Livery & Stable Operations (AFAEAGAG), Equestrian & Horse Trekking Centers (THAAAKAL)

Keywords

• Equine-assisted therapy
• Therapeutic horseback riding
• Hippotherapy services
• Adaptive riding programs
• Special needs recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Old Westbury

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. Program Service Fees: Fees charged for therapeutic riding lessons, hippotherapy sessions, camp, and GOALS program. Need-based scholarships available. 80% of every dollar donated goes directly to program support.
2. Donations & General Contributions: Monetary gifts via cash, check, money order, credit card. Donors can direct gifts to riders, campers, programs, or horses. Rider Scholarship Fund provides full and partial scholarships.
3. Horse Sponsorship: Adopt-a-Horse program supporting care and maintenance of therapy horses. Covers hay, grain, bedding, farrier, vet well visits, and retired horse care.
4. Naming Opportunities & Sponsorships: Banner sponsorships for indoor arena, brick/pathway sponsors, naming opportunities at all levels for businesses and individuals.
5. Community Connections Sponsorships: Veterinary, dental, chiropractic, podiatric sponsorship programs for herd health. Driving sponsorship program.
6. LIHSSRD Competition Fees: One-time $25 membership fee plus $35 per class, $15 office fee, $12 show fee per show. Post-entry fees apply for late submissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HorseAbility delivers equine-assisted therapy and recreation programs for children and adults with special needs, including adaptive riding lessons, hippotherapy by licensed therapists, the G.O.A.L.S. adult life-skills program, Camp HorseAbility summer camp, driving lessons, a mobile miniature horse visitation program, and the LIHSSRD competition series for riders with disabilities. All services are grounded in PATH International standards at the SUNY Old Westbury campus and through mobile outreach across Long Island.

Product overview

HorseAbility Center for Equine Facilitated Programs is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of equine-assisted services. The organization operates as a unified service platform centered around therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and educational programs. Core offerings include Adaptive Riding Lessons, Hippotherapy (physical, occupational, and speech therapy using equine movement), Camp HorseAbility (summer day camp), the G.O.A.L.S. Program for adults, Miniature Horse Therapy Visitation, and LIHSSRD competitive riding series. Additional programs encompass Driving Lessons, Field Trips, Veterans Programs, Corporate Team Building, and PATH Certification Training. All programs are delivered at their 20-acre SUNY Old Westbury campus with PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIHSSRD: Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities - a competition series created by HorseAbility in 2005 for riders with disabilities to compete at USEF rated hunter jumper horse shows.

Products and services

• Adaptive/therapeutic riding lessons Therapeutic horseback riding lessons for individuals with learning, developmental, or emotional disabilities, improving concentration, patience, discipline, confidence, independence, and self-esteem through the rider-horse bond. For ages 3 through adult.
• Hippotherapy Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology services using the purposeful manipulation of equine movement to engage sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes in participants with special needs.
• Camp HorseAbility One-week annual summer day camp running Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for individuals with special needs, featuring horseback riding, sports, arts and crafts, water activities, and daily special activities.
• G.O.A.L.S. Program (Goal Oriented Activities for Life Skills) Farm-based educational program for adults over age 18 focusing on independence, responsibility, communication, teamwork, and self-esteem through horse care, facility maintenance, and office work, with customized plans for each participant.
• Miniature Horse Companion Therapy Visitation Program Mobile therapeutic services using miniature horses (and miniature donkeys) to visit hospitals, hospice centers, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centers, bringing emotional and social well-being benefits to persons of all ages and abilities.
• LIHSSRD (Long Island Horse Show Series for Riders with Disabilities) USEF-rated competition series for riders with documented disabilities, hosting 4-6 local shows per season plus championship finals at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Annual membership $25 plus $35 per class with $15 office fee and $12 show fee per show.
• Driving Lessons Therapeutic driving lessons using horses and carts to improve balance, communication skills, coordination, and emotional well-being for participants.
• HorseAbility for Heroes Veterans Program Equine-assisted services program designed for military veterans to support well-being, physical rehabilitation, and emotional health through equine-assisted activities.
• Instructor Training Program (PATH Certification) Training program for individuals pursuing PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor Certification, including disability education, daily horse care routine, and hands-on teaching practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Indoor arena increased overall participation by 50% and added 25% more program dates due to uninterrupted lessons regardless of weather

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Partnership programming for athletes with intellectual disabilities. HorseAbility provides coaching and competition pathways through its programs.
• Hampton Classic Horse ShowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005LIHSSRD Finals Championship hosted annually at the Hampton Classic Horse Show, one of the most prestigious equestrian events. Top 10 riders in each division qualify for this championship.
• Girl ScoutsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership programming. Many Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have conducted service projects at HorseAbility.
• SUNY College at Old WestburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorseAbility is located on the SUNY Old Westbury campus. Formalized affiliation creating a new minor curriculum path in Therapeutic Horsemanship available to college students. Courses and workshops available to current staff and volunteers. This affiliation expanded programs to serve new populations including military veterans, dementia care participants, special education school groups, and day habilitation programming.
• PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorseAbility is one of only two PATH International Premier Accredited Centers on Long Island. PATH provides the accreditation standards and certification framework. HorseAbility offers PATH-certified instructor training and serves as a PATH education provider.
• Community Connections Sponsors (Local Businesses)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses including doctors, dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, mechanics, car dealers, carpenters, builders, real estate professionals sponsor HorseAbility through Community Connections Veterinary Sponsorship, Dental Sponsorship, Driving Sponsorship, Chiropractic Sponsorship, and Podiatric Sponsorship programs. Sponsors featured on website and social media.
• DDR FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDR Farm is one of the host venues for LIHSSRD competition shows (May 9th, 2026).
• Old Field FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOld Field Farm is a host venue for LIHSSRD competition shows (May 31st and June 28th, 2026). Also named as sponsor and competition venue historically.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pal-O-Mine Equestrian: Long Island-based PATH International Premier Accredited Center offering therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-assisted activities for individuals with special needs. Directly comparable in service mix, PATH accreditation tier, and Long Island geographic footprint to HorseAbility.
• Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center: PATH International Premier Accredited Center in Loveland, CO offering therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-assisted services. Comparable in mission, PATH accreditation tier, and multi-program structure to HorseAbility.
• BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding & Educational Center: One of the largest PATH International Premier Accredited Centers in the U.S. (Harvard, IL), offering therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-assisted services for veterans and individuals with disabilities. Comparable in mission, PATH accreditation tier, and program breadth to HorseAbility, but at significantly larger scale.
• Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship: PATH International Accredited Center offering adaptive riding, hippotherapy, and equine-assisted services. Comparable in therapeutic riding mission and PATH-affiliated programming to HorseAbility.
• Green Chimneys: Brewster, NY nonprofit operating a farm-based educational and therapeutic program for children with special needs, including animal-assisted therapy. Comparable to HorseAbility in New York-based farm-anchored special needs programming, though with a stronger residential/school focus.
• Mane Stream: PATH International Premier Accredited Center in Oldwick, NJ providing therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-facilitated learning for individuals with special needs. Comparable in Northeast regional scope, PATH accreditation, and clinical program structure to HorseAbility.
• High Hopes Therapeutic Riding: PATH International Premier Accredited Center in West Redding, CT offering therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and adaptive equestrian programs for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan. Comparable in Northeast US regional scope, accreditation tier, and service portfolio to HorseAbility.
• BINA Farm Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy: PATH International Accredited Center in Weston, NJ providing equine-assisted therapy and therapeutic riding for individuals with special needs, including veterans. Comparable in Northeast regional scope and therapeutic service mix to HorseAbility.

Others

• Special Olympics New York: Long-standing strategic partner of HorseAbility providing competitive pathways for athletes with intellectual disabilities. While not a direct service competitor, it operates as the referral and competition ecosystem partner that anchors HorseAbility's adaptive sports programming.

Regional players

• Reins of Life Equine Services: PATH International Accredited Center serving individuals with disabilities and veterans in the Midwest. Comparable in therapeutic riding service mix and veteran-targeted programming to HorseAbility, but operating in a distinct geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HorseAbility
• Instagraminstagram.com/lihssrd
• Xx.com/horseability
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horseability

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 HorseAbility