What Does Strides Look for in a Therapy Horse?

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Horses are the lifeblood of the equine-assisted industry, and it takes a truly exceptional animal to become a therapy horse. Without great horses, Strides could not fulfill its mission. Because of their critical role, we are highly selective in determining which horses are accepted into our program.

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If you’re interested in having your horse join our program, please review the following criteria. Once you’ve read through, contact us at stridestc.org or call 509-492-8000 to set up an evaluation.

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Preferred Age
The ideal age range for therapy horses entering our program is 8 to 15 years old, although we consider all ages on a case-by-case basis.

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Gender
We accept geldings and mares. Please note that we do not accept stallions, cryptorchids, or monorchids under any circumstances.

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Height
All heights will be considered.

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Soundness

• Horses must have a free-moving stride and no physical issues that would cause discomfort (with or without a rider) at the walk, trot, and canter.

• They should be sound without the need for expensive corrective shoes, feeds, supplements, or medications.

 

Condition and Conformation

• Horses must be in good physical condition.

• Horses coming from a pasture life with limited handling or those with extended periods of inactivity are typically not suitable for our program.

 

Personality and Temperament
Therapy horses need a special temperament. They must:

• Be tolerant of their environment and riders.

• Enjoy attention and have excellent ground manners.

• Handle people being on all sides while being ridden.

• Tolerate occasional loud noises, sudden movements, or unbalanced riding weight.

 

The ideal therapy horse is quiet, forgiving, and patient. Horses exhibiting behaviors such as biting, bucking, rearing, kicking, pacing, cribbing, or wind-sucking are not suitable.

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Training
Horses must be completely saddle broke and trained. Unfortunately, Strides cannot accept green or untrained horses.

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Trial Period
Owners or donors must agree to a 90-day trial period during which the horse will be cared for at our facility. During this time, we thoroughly evaluate the horse’s suitability for our programs.

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What Happens During the Trial Period?

The horse will be exposed to:

• Therapy equipment, ramps, mounting blocks, walkers, wheelchairs, toys, and balls.

• Sidewalkers, leaders, loud noises, sudden movements, and applied pressure on all parts of its body.

We closely observe and grade the horse’s body language and reactions, focusing on:

1. Acceptance and compliance with what is being asked.

2. Demonstration of a patient and tolerant attitude.

3. Speed of improvement following any negative reactions.

 

If you believe your horse could make an excellent therapy horse, we encourage you to reach out. Your horse could play a vital role in transforming lives through equine-assisted activities!