Fieldstone Farm

What Fieldstone Farm does

Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 (originally as Chagrin Valley Therapeutic Riding Center) and headquartered in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. It operates one of the largest equine-assisted therapy programs in the United States, serving approximately 1,000 individuals annually ranging from age 4 to over 80 with emotional, physical, and cognitive challenges including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, PTSD, and trauma recovery. Programs span weekly therapeutic riding, carriage driving, ground-based Equine Partnerships, summer camps, music therapy, Horse Tales literacy programming, the Mobile Mini Program delivering miniature horses to community sites, a Veterans Program offered free of charge in partnership with the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, and the on-site Gaitway High School alternative education program.

Delivery is built on a 20-instructor PATH International-certified teaching team, supplemented by 250+ trained volunteers, with 30 therapy horses supported by a 45,000-square-foot accessible facility on 45 acres (36 stalls, two indoor arenas, an outdoor arena, hydraulic lift) on the Snyder Road campus opened in 1997. The organization reports an annual operating budget of approximately $2.8 million against a balance sheet near $10 million including a $3 million endowment accumulated in the 2010s.

The revenue model combines fee-for-service program tuition, summer camp fees ($350/week publicly listed), and charitable contributions — including annual fundraising events such as Chefs Unbridled — and is credentialed by PATH International (Premier Accredited for 30+ years), Charity Navigator (4-star), and GuideStar (Platinum Seal). Research collaborations with NYU, Case Western Reserve University, Syracuse University, and the University of Tennessee have produced published studies on anxiety reduction in children and mindfulness outcomes among female veterans, supporting evidence-based positioning. Distribution is regional (Northeast Ohio) via direct on-site service, 50+ school and nonprofit partnerships, and the Mobile Mini community outreach channel. Leadership comprises CEO Lynnette Stuart, COO Leslie Mapes, Director of Program Quality Aviva Vincent, Equine Director Jinene, and Gaitway Administrator Nancy Santilli.

Name

Fieldstone Farm

Legal name

Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center

Website

https://fieldstonefarm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fieldstone Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit equine-assisted therapy center in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, serving roughly 1,000 children and adults annually with autism, cerebral palsy, PTSD, and other physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges through PATH International–accredited riding, carriage driving, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Riding and Equine-Assisted Therapy Services

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (112920), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAKAL

Equestrian & Horse Trekking Centers

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Sports & Activity Centers (Paragliding, Skydiving, Surf Schools)

SECONDARYAFAEAGAG

Horse Boarding, Livery & Stable Operations

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Equine (Horse) Breeding & Operations

SECONDARYHLAMACAK

Veterinary Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Emergency & Specialty Veterinary Hospitals

Keywords

• Therapeutic riding
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Adaptive horsemanship
• Equine therapy programs
• Animal-assisted therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Chagrin Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Fees charged for therapeutic riding lessons, carriage driving, and other programs. Payments can be made monthly through automatic credit card deductions. Assessment fee of $40 for new students.
2. Summer Camp Revenue: Week-long day camps running Monday-Friday from early June through early August, priced at $350 per week with a $150 non-refundable deposit.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Annual budget of approximately $2.8 million supported by donor contributions. Major annual fundraiser Chefs Unbridled held at Chagrin Valley Hunt Club Polo Field. Endowment campaign has raised millions for the organization.
4. Veteran Programs (Free): Veterans programs are provided free of charge thanks to generous donations, representing a significant community service commitment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center delivers equine-assisted therapy and adaptive horsemanship programs to individuals with physical, cognitive, social, and emotional challenges. Its offerings include therapeutic riding lessons, carriage driving, ground-based equine partnerships, summer camp, the Gaitway alternative high school, free veterans programs, school and group partnerships, and educational workshops that train certified therapeutic riding instructors.

Product overview

Fieldstone Farm is a therapeutic riding center offering a comprehensive suite of equine-assisted therapy services. The core offerings include therapeutic riding lessons, carriage driving, and equine partnerships (ground-based work with horses). These are supplemented by specialized programs including Summer Camp for children and teens, Gaitway High School (an alternative on-site high school), Veterans Programs, Schools & Groups partnerships, Educational Workshops for instructor certification, Music Therapy, the Mobile Mini Program with miniature horses, and Horse Tales literacy program. The organization operates from a 45,000-square-foot accessible facility with two indoor arenas, one outdoor arena, and 36 horse stalls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapeutic Riding Lessons
• Carriage Driving
• Equine Partnerships (Ground-Based Work)
• Summer Camp
• Gaitway High School
• Veterans Programs
• Schools and Groups Programs
• Educational Workshops (PATH Certification Training)
• Mobile Mini Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 1,000 students served annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• New York University (NYU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research partnership to study benefits of therapeutic riding for children with anxiety. Led by Fieldstone's Aviva Vincent, PhD, LSW and NYU psychologists. Enrolled 39 students ages 6-16 in 10-week study analyzing cortisol and oxytocin levels. Research published in peer-reviewed journal showing therapeutic riding reduces stress and anxiety.
• Case Western Reserve UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research partnership to explore benefits of equine therapy for female veterans. Psychology students conducted study showing significant increases in self-identified mindfulness. Published in academic journal.
• Educational Service Center of the Western Reserve (ESCWR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to operate Gaitway High School, an alternative high school hosted at Fieldstone Farm since 2006. First high school in the country situated at a therapeutic riding center. School serves students who struggled in traditional settings with small class sizes and individualized lesson plans.
• Veterans Administration (VA) / Louis Stokes VA Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop and operate veteran programs. VA counselors refer veterans to Fieldstone for equine therapy. Partnership began in 2006 and has grown to become one of the most comprehensive veteran programs in the country.
• Hospice of the Western ReservesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing animal camp and grief support for families coping with cancer. Children enrolled in equine therapy programs as part of healing journey.
• A Special Wish FoundationsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation grants wishes to children with life-threatening disorders. Introduced students to Fieldstone Farm for therapeutic riding.
• Cleveland Metropolitan School DistrictsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool district partnership bringing students to Fieldstone for therapeutic riding and educational programs.
• Geauga County ESCsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational Service Center providing student support services and parent mentoring, with students participating in Fieldstone programs.
• The Gathering PlacesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-profit helping families coping with cancer referred children to Fieldstone's animal camp for healing.
• Metzenbaum CentersecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly partner organization referring students with disabilities to Fieldstone programs since founding.
• Syracuse University Falk College of Social WorksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviva Vincent, Director of Program Quality, serves as assistant teaching professor at Syracuse University's Falk College of Social Work, contributing academic expertise to the partnership.
• University of Tennessee (Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviva Vincent serves as instructor of animal-assisted interventions at the University's Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program.
• Chagrin Valley Hunt ClubsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Chefs Unbridled annual fundraiser. Event held at polo field in Gates Mills.
• Chefs Chris Hodgson and Scott Kuhn / Driftwood Restaurants and CateringsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerLead chefs for Chefs Unbridled annual fundraiser, serving culinary delights at the event. Partnership has raised millions for Fieldstone programs.
• Horses Deserve a Second ChancesecondaryOthersOrganization that finds homes for auction and slaughter-bound horses. Source of Rose, the Suffolk Punch mare who delivered Summer's Surprise at Fieldstone.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mane Stream: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic equestrian center in Oldwick, New Jersey offering riding, carriage driving, and groundwork for individuals with disabilities. Comparable in accreditation status, program breadth, and school partnership model.
• High Horses Therapeutic Riding Program: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center in Waterbury Center, Vermont serving children and adults with disabilities. Comparable in mission, instructor certification, and community-partner-driven service model.
• Cheff Center for the Blind: Therapeutic riding center in Augusta, Michigan serving individuals with disabilities through equine-assisted activities. Directly comparable to Fieldstone as a long-standing PATH-affiliated nonprofit operating a dedicated facility with trained instructors and horses.
• Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Team: Long Island-based therapeutic riding nonprofit operating vocational, educational, and recreational equine programs. Comparable to Fieldstone in operating a dedicated facility, partnering with schools, and offering multi-disciplinary programming for special populations.
• Equi-librium: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center in Perkasie, Pennsylvania serving individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. Closely comparable in operational scope, accreditation, and donation-funded nonprofit structure.
• Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center: PATH Premier Accredited therapeutic riding center in Loveland, Colorado serving children and adults with disabilities, veterans, and at-risk youth. Closely comparable in mission, instructor certification, and program mix including carriage driving and equine partnerships.
• Giant Steps Equine Therapy: Therapeutic riding center in Petaluma, California serving youth and adults with disabilities. Comparable as a nonprofit therapeutic equestrian organization with volunteer-driven delivery and PATH-affiliated instruction.
• National Center for Equine-Assisted Therapy (NCEFT): Equine-assisted therapy center in Woodside, California serving children and adults with special needs, veterans, and at-risk populations. Highly comparable to Fieldstone in clinical orientation, PATH affiliation, and research-driven program design.
• Brookhill Farm Therapeutic Equestrian Center: PATH-affiliated therapeutic riding center in Annapolis, Maryland serving children and adults with disabilities. Comparable in program offerings, instructor certification, and community-based nonprofit structure.

Others

• PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship): The national membership and accrediting body for equine-assisted activities and therapy. Connected to Fieldstone as the source of its Premier Accredited Center status, instructor certifications, and the DEI committee leadership role held by its Director of Program Quality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Fieldstone
• Instagraminstagram.com/fieldstonefarmtrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fieldstone-farm-therapeutic-riding-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Fieldstone Farm