Independence, confidence, dignity, and strength – many take these words for granted, yet they are cherished by the clients with disabilities who work hard to achieve them at Equest.
Monday through Saturday at the Texas Horse Park, Equest’s barns and arenas are filled with instructors, volunteers and over 200 weekly clients all working to improve the lives of those they serve. Ordinary miracles happen every day, from an autistic child, unable to speak a sentence, loudly telling their horse to “trot”, to the Army veteran who is missing two legs and an arm, mount up, and ride off like he’s the Lone Ranger.
Equest’s horses (better known as four-legged therapists) eat a lot, need horse shoes, take vitamins, carry hundreds of clients, and have to stay warm in the winter. A gift can help Equest keep therapy horses in great shape! Additionally, gifts, for a family member, friend, or in honor of a loved one, provide much needed support for Equest’s programs.
A gift helps ensure that Equest continues to provide physical and emotional healing through equine facilitated therapies and activities, year after year. The list below outlines donation levels. Custom levels are also available.
- $50 buys four bales of hay for Equest’s therapy horses.
- $100 pays entry fee for a therapeutic riding client to participate in a horse show
- $250 brings an Equine Facilitated Learning program and mini horses to a local school or library
- $500 covers class fees for one rider for one semester
- $1,000 provides a semester of counseling for a veteran or their family member – help Equest Hooves for Heroes continue to offer veteran services at no charge to the individual.
- $2,500 covers six month of care for a therapy horse – Equest’s most valuable asset
- $5,000 sponsors the care of a therapy horse for a year – Equest’s most valuable asset
To give, call Equest at 972.412.1099 or visit www.equest.org/donate.
About Equest
Founded in 1981, Equest provides equine facilitated activities, therapies and counseling to children and adults with physical, cognitive, sensory, coping and learning disabilities and veterans with adjustment challenges. The services provided include physical and occupational therapy, equine facilitated counseling and learning, therapeutic carriage driving, therapeutic horsemanship and competition. With the help of 36 therapy horses, 10 instructors, four therapists, two counselors, and 400 volunteers, lives are changed on a daily basis for more than 3,000 clients served annually. Equest was the first PATH International Premier Accredited Center in Texas and remains one of the largest in the country. Equest offers an engaging volunteer program that provides 40,000 hours of direct program service opportunities each year. Equest was named “2015 Non-Profit of the Year” by CNM Connect. www.equest.org
