Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc

What Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc does

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 and headquartered at 3777 Rector Ave NE, Rockford, Michigan. It provides equine-assisted therapy to individuals with physical, mental, and social/emotional disabilities, serving more than 200 participants weekly year-round and across an age range from 2 to 100. The organization operates with 23 employees, 34 therapy horses, and a portfolio of 11 distinct programs including therapeutic riding, Horses for Heroes (veterans), the Equine Assisted Reading & Literacy Program, Vocational & Job Training, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Equine Program, Adaptive Carriage Driving, Sensory Riding Trail, Senior Saturdays, and PATH International Instructor Training.

The core service model combines trained therapy horses with PATH International-certified instructors to deliver physical, cognitive, and social-emotional outcomes; the underlying technology is the therapy horse herd itself and the accredited instructional methodology rather than a software or platform layer. Equest is PATH International accredited, EAL Level 2 certified, holds a Candid Gold Seal for transparency, and carries a Charity Navigator 3-Star rating, with corporate sponsorship relationships including Meijer, Fifth Third Bank, Northern Cross Foundation, Baudville, the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and the Andrea DeVos Foundation.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model: participant program fees (single lessons at $75/$40 discounted; 8-week sessions at $600/$320 discounted), corporate sponsorships (including $5,500/year therapy horse sponsorships), individual donations and planned giving, corporate matching gifts, and four signature fundraising events (Equest Derby, Trailblazers Luncheon, Holiday Horse Show, Black & Blue Ball). The organization maintains a scholarship/rider sponsorship program that subsidizes fees for families unable to pay and states it has never turned away a participant due to inability to pay. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on healthcare provider referrals, word-of-mouth, school partnerships, volunteer networks, and earned media, with a 50+ person waiting list signaling demand currently exceeds program capacity.

Name

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc

Legal name

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

Website

https://equestcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding is a Rockford, Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that delivers equine-assisted therapy to individuals with physical, mental, and social/emotional disabilities, serving over 200 participants weekly with 34 therapy horses and 11 programs including therapeutic riding, veterans services, and literacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Equestrian Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Occupational Therapy (OT) Clinics (HLADAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equine Care & Stable Management (EDAOAOAE)

Keywords

• Therapeutic horseback riding
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Adaptive riding programs
• Nonprofit disability services
• Equine-assisted learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford, MI

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. Participant Program Fees: Fees charged for therapeutic riding lessons and programs. Discounted rates available for families demonstrating financial need, with sponsorship program subsidizing costs for those unable to pay.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations supporting the nonprofit mission. Includes annual giving, memorials, and in-kind donations.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from businesses sponsoring horses, riders, events (Derby, Holiday Horse Show), and general organizational support.
4. Fundraising Events: Revenue from signature events including Equest Derby, Trailblazers Luncheon, Holiday Horse Show, and Black & Blue Ball.
5. Matching Gifts and Planned Giving: Corporate matching gift programs and planned giving/bequest opportunities for long-term donor relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides equine-assisted therapy and adaptive horsemanship services to individuals with physical, mental, and social/emotional disabilities. Operating from its Rockford, Michigan facility with 34 therapy horses, the center delivers weekly therapeutic riding sessions alongside specialized programs for veterans, deaf and hard of hearing individuals, seniors, youth day camps, vocational trainees, and children with literacy needs, and also offers PATH International instructor certification training.

Product overview

Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization providing equine-based therapy services. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of therapeutic riding and equine-assisted programs including Therapeutic Riding, Horsemanship Day Camp, Sensory Riding Trail, Horses for Heroes, Vocational & Job Training, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Equine Program, Adaptive Carriage Driving, Equine Assisted Reading & Literacy Program, Horses as Healers, Senior Saturdays, and PATH International Instructor Training. The center operates with 34 therapy horses and serves over 200 individuals with disabilities each week on a year-round basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapeutic Riding

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ individuals served weekly year-round
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Cross FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the annual Equest Derby fundraising event. Major supporter of organizational mission and programs.
• MeijercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor including credit union sponsorship, Derby sponsorship, and community support. Has restored beloved therapy horse 'Fred The Turtle' for the center.
• Fifth Third BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and participant in United Way Day of Caring volunteer programs at the center.
• BaudvillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Trailblazers Luncheon, a key annual fundraising and awareness event.
• Cascade Hills Country ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for the Trailblazers Luncheon fundraising event.
• WarnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Equest Derby event.
• Christopher Reeve FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the mission of improving lives through quality therapeutic programs.
• Andrea Devos FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Holiday Horse Show event, bringing holiday magic to participants.
• Grand Rapids Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner with ribbon cutting ceremony for center expansion, student volunteers, and internship opportunities for students.
• Horse Powered ReadingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed partner program for equine-assisted reading and literacy services using proprietary methodology.
• Lone Tree Stables / Laura McCallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of therapy horse Champ for 2021.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BraveHearts Equine Center: Illinois-based nonprofit providing equine-assisted services including therapeutic riding, a Horses for Heroes veterans program, and PATH instructor training — closely matching Equest's program mix and mission.
• Mane Stream: New Jersey-based PATH International Premier Accredited Center providing equine-assisted therapies, including veterans programs and adaptive riding, with a comparable nonprofit operating model.
• National Center for Equine-Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT): California-based nonprofit offering equine-facilitated therapy and adaptive riding for children and adults with disabilities, including veterans. Comparable in scope, certifications, and specialization.
• Reins of Life: Indiana-based PATH accredited therapeutic horseback riding center serving individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities, with a similar mix of year-round programs and disability focus.
• Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center: Michigan-based PATH International accredited therapeutic riding center serving individuals with disabilities through equine-assisted activities. Highly comparable in mission, modality, and regional Midwest context.
• High Hopes Therapeutic Riding: PATH International accredited nonprofit offering equine-assisted activities and therapies to individuals with disabilities. Comparable in operating model, pediatric through adult focus, and nonprofit funding structure.
• Galloping On: Nonprofit offering equine-assisted activities and therapies for individuals with special needs, overlapping with Equest's adaptive riding and instructor training core offerings.
• Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center: Colorado-based PATH accredited therapeutic riding nonprofit offering therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-assisted learning to a similarly broad age and disability range.

Broad incumbents

• EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association): Global professional association setting the standard for equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development. Comparable as an industry-shaping organization serving the same equine-assisted services space.
• PATH International: The leading professional association for equine-assisted activities and therapies; Equest is a member center. PATH sets industry standards, certifies instructors, and represents the broader ecosystem in which Equest operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/EQ4TR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_aLJ8efSS6vuQNXeF9aawA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/EquestCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equest-center-for-therapeutic-riding-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/equestcenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@equest_center

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc