Healing with Horses Ranch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit equine-assisted service center located just east of Austin, Texas. By creating space for healthy relationships between horses & humans, we empower individuals to develop life skills in a safe, inclusive environment.
To promote resilience, independence, and healing in mind, body, and soul through the power of the horse.
We don’t want to just touch lives, we want to change lives.
To set the standard for equine-assisted services through collaborative research, instructor training programs, and continued professional development for our staff, while providing exceptional care as a sanctuary for equines who have provided services for our clients.
We primarily serve three core populations within the greater Austin area from a trauma-informed approach. Our programs are available to individuals of all ages with mental health diagnoses through adaptive riding, equine-assisted learning, and equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Resilience
Interactions with horses provide a non-competitive, non-judgmental setting to build emotional and social capacity, while providing individuals with relationships that are both caring & consistent.
We focus on building self-awareness, enabling the individual to work through unexpressed emotional pain and learn how to recognize, verbalize and regulate their feelings.
Transition
Many veterans & first responders return from duty carrying physical & emotional wounds. Whether from combat zones, emergency scenes, or prolonged exposure to trauma, adjusting to everyday life can be difficult. Our program uses horses to support that transition.
Together, the horse & participant work on relaxation, memory, patience, confidence, physical wellness, and focus. These skills extend far beyond the arena and into daily life.
Independence
Because riding a horse rhythmically moves the body in a manner similar to a human gait, riders with physical disabilities often improve in flexibility, balance, muscle strength, and range of motion. In addition, due to the non-verbal communication between a horse & human, individuals practice communication in their own way.
Our program improves physical & cognitive skills that spark new independence within the rider that they can then carry over into everyday life.
Networking Event for Therapists
September 12, 2025, 4-5:30pm
In partnership with Newport Healthcare, our goal is to cultivate an authentic community amongst therapists who are drawn to animal-assisted therapies. Join us as we develop a vision for how we can grow this work together.
Join us for one of our workshops, webinars, or training opportunities to learn about the healing power of the horse.
Includes both special & yearly events.
Healing with Horses Ranch is a vibrant community that is welcoming to all. There are many ways to get involved, from joining a committee, to becoming a regular on our feed team, to volunteering in lessons. No matter your time or talents, we can’t wait to welcome you to the Ranch.
As a volunteer at Healing with Horses Ranch, you become a part of our herd and a vital piece toward increasing independence & resilience for at-risk youth, veterans, and people with disabilities.
Volunteering as a group is a great way to bond as a team, build positive communication, and give back to the community! Group volunteering experiences are a single commitment of two hours for groups of five or more people.
Throughout the year, we host & attend events around the greater Austin area. We want to share our wonderful space with the community around us and raise funds to continue our mission of offering safe, affordable equine-assisted activities.
We are committed to making our services affordable & accessible to all. Donations from community members like you help to sustain our herd and ensure equine-assisted services can continue year-round.
Healing with Horses Ranch is a PATH International Premier Riding Center. Our instructors & equine specialists, all of whom are PATH certified, believe deeply in the transformative power of the horse-human connection, and the ability for individuals from all backgrounds to improve their emotional, cognitive, and physical abilities.
A central part of our team is, of course, the horses – our true teachers. We partner with a variety of breeds, shapes, and personalities of horses to meet the needs of our riders. Every member of our herd is part of the family for life. In 2025, we became an equine sanctuary, which means each horse will live out their days here, whether or not they’re actively involved in programs. While we are not a rescue, once an equine is here, they can rest assured that this is their forever home.
Healing with Horses Ranch is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) International center that provides evidence-based, trauma-informed services led by certified professionals. PATH certifies and accredits centers, instructors, and equine specialists based on field-tested standards to ensure safety, ethics, and effectiveness in the equine-assisted services industry. To become certified, instructors must complete workshops, fulfill student teaching requirements, and pass both written and practical exams.
Founded in 2011 as a PATH-compliant center, we underwent a voluntary peer review in 2018 and successfully met the accreditation requirements to become a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center. This designation allows us to be recognized in the community for upholding PATH’s highest standards and enables us to train other centers.
