06/12/2026
Our program is not like the rest... Empowered Equines is for the kids who are horse OBSESSED. The kids who want to spend their whole day learning about, talking about, caring for, training, working with, and riding horses. Our program isn't for the kids who think of riding just as a sport, who want to come once a week for an hour to ride. We are for the kids who live and breath animals. The ones who would rather muck a stall than clean their bedroom. The ones who would rather spend an hour braiding their horse's mane than doing their makeup. We are a rescue and training program for horses who have had a difficult start at life and a safe place for kids who are different.
We don't offer competitive riding as a sport. We offer a relationship with a horse that transcends needs for tools or control. We offer time on the ground, playing games, teaching tricks, running wild, and preparing for your future. We offer an hour of laying on your favorite horse's back in the sun while they graze. Our focus is relationship first. Here the students learn to meet their horse where they are, support them with love, care, and constructive training, to reach any goal they share. Whether that's riding, agility, going on trails, learning tricks, or just being able to enjoy time together in peace.
Our program is 3 hours per day, with most students coming several days per weeks. We have 3 levels of opportunity:
Volunteering - Free - Help with farm chores and spend time with the horses helping with their specialized care.
Student - $25-30 per day ($30 is for our long days during summer) for students who come one or twice a week.
Leasing - $250 per month flat rate, students may come as much as they want per week and have priority lessons with their favorite horse.
Students and leasers come for 3 hours per day, or more during our summer hours. We spend the first hour doing all the farm chores. This includes mucking, hay, feed, waters. Then we tend to any important horse need, whether that be addressing a medical or physical need (like changing Grayson's socks, swapping blankets, tending to allergy issues, etc...). Then we play the next hour or two. This includes learning how to train their favorite rescue with positive reinforcement training. They can work on anything they and their horse partner are working towards. This can be, and is often, developing their riding skills. A heavy favorite around the barn is doing liberty agility training, getting to run obstacles and practice your communication from a distance. Another favorite activity is running in the big field with their horse. Some love riding training, but have more fun just laying on their horse in the sun while they graze together. Sometimes they focus their training on preparing for vet or farrier care, or physical therapy for their horse. Sometimes they prefer to teach fun tricks or introduce their horse to new things (like getting hose baths).
The students and leasers here do not just learn how to ride a horse - they learn every aspect of horse care and training, with horses who have been rescued or come from the wild. Horses like these need a full picture relationship with their partner, not just a rider who shows up from time to time and only talks to them from their back. But a friend, peer, caretaker, and supporter in all aspects of their life. A comprehensive relationship developed between a special horse and special human.
