Halleck Creek Ranch

Halleck Creek Ranch (HCR) improves the lives of Bay Area youth and adults with disabilities by providing no-or low-cost individual and group therapeutic horseback riding programs and other equine assisted activities. These programs help to break down barriers to outdoor physical activity, improve mental health, foster independence and self-confidence, build strong family and peer relationships, and increase interaction between the disabled and non-disabled community. This form of horseback riding is a dynamic, exciting form of exercise that is often recommended by medical professionals as a complementary form of therapy for children and adults with disabilities. Through its unique physical movements, animal-human bonds, and adventurous nature, therapeutic horseback riding helps our participants to gain the strength, coordination, self-confidence, and sensory skills needed to live healthy, independent lives. In addition, our Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) and therapeutic horseback riding programs engage one’s senses through their contact with the horses, volunteers, experiences in nature, and continual need to respond to their environment and the movements of the horses. The participant’s strong bond with the horses often draws them out of their shells, encouraging language development as they enthusiastically talk with their families and friends about the horses they love and the riding experiences they look forward to each week. Halleck Creek Ranch offers the following programs designed to meet the individual needs of our special riders: Group Trail Rides: Offered every Saturday, our 75-minute group riding sessions are designed to emphasize the therapeutic connections between people, animals, and nature. These lessons are held in groups of ten riders, and begin with stretching and warm-up exercises, followed by a trail ride through the beautiful hills of western Marin County. Our Saturday sessions also give the riders’ families the opportunity to socialize and support one another in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Halleck Creek Ranch currently holds three separate trail rides on Saturdays, serving 8-10 students each ride. Individual/Small Group Riding Lessons: We also offer 45-minute individual or small group riding lessons, held Tuesdays through Fridays. These lessons are designed to give our participants the opportunity to work one-on-one with an instructor/volunteer team to build skills in the arena that are specifically tailored for the individual's goals and therapeutic needs. All lesson planning begins with staff selecting which horse, volunteers, tack and equipment will work best with each person. HCR currently offers individual and small group lessons on weekdays to over 85 youth and adults from throughout Marin County and the greater Bay Area. In 2019, 55% of participants were youth aged 4-21 years. Our oldest rider was 86 year old. Eighty percent of our participants came from Marin County, while 20% traveled from Contra Costa, Sonoma, San Francisco, Napa, and Alameda counties. Seventy five percent of our participants identified as white, while 25% identified as Asian, African American, Hispanic or Latino. Thirty-eight percent are on the autism spectrum, 29% of our riders experience neuromuscular disorders or ataxia such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, 23% have developmental, intellectual, mental and/or emotional disorders, and 10% have a variety of disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, fetal alcohol syndrome and Down syndrome. Many are affected by more than one disability.

We believe that providing challenging experiences in a supportive environment will make a lasting, positive change in the attitudes and abilities of children and adults with disabilities, and in the people who care for them. Through the beneficial activity of therapeutic horseback riding, our participants learn new skills and expand their self-perception, enjoying a sense of freedom from their disabilities. We believe the families benefit from the relaxed atmosphere of the ranch and a valuable chance to network with other families and caregivers. We are committed to providing our program at low or no cost to our participants, so that the therapeutic benefits available through connections with people, animals, and nature are never denied a single individual in need.