Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach

We are a center member of PATH Inc. and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

As a nonprofit, we rely on volunteers -- bring horses to the arena, groom, tack, lead horses and sidewalk wiith the students. It's a team effort; students grow and develop because of the volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time - even 1 hour/week is appreciated-- please call (714) 848-0966, or go to our website, www.trchb.org, and download the volunteer application. Not only will you enrich the life of someone with special needs, you will enrich your own life.

The concept of utilizing horses for therapy dates back to the ancient Greeks. European physicians in the 17th century used horses to treat various neurological disorders. But when Lis Hartel of Denmark won the silver medal in dressage in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the medical and equestrian communities in Europe and North America took notice. Hartel and her therapist founded the first therapeutic riding center in Europe.

In 1969 NARHA was formed in this country as the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. Over the years, NARHA progresssed and expanded its membership to include individuals and centers in other countries. Activities are not limited to riding, and include vaulting, stable management, equine-assisted psychotherapy, driving, and equine-facilitated learning. In 2011 the organization became PATH -- Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship -- to reflect this broader scope and vision.

Today more than 800 PATH centers serve more than 42,000 children and adults with special needs, enriching and changing lives through equine-assisted activities that include hippotherapy, riding. driving, vaultiing, stable management, equine-facilitated mental health activities, and equine-facilitated learning. The American Physical Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association acknowledge the physical and emotional benefits of equine--assisted activities and therapy.