Therapeutic Riding Center | Huntington Beach & Los Angeles

We strive to empower people with physical and developmental challenges to discover their greatest strengths and gain a sense of self-confidence and self-reliance through the special relationship with a horse.

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Who We Are.

The Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and a member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International. It was founded in 1990 by a group of community volunteers who wanted to provide services to individuals with disabilities in the form of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT).

A man riding a Belgian Quarter horse in an outdoor riding arena. The rider is wearing a cowboy hat, sunglasses, a blue hoodie, and jeans. There are other people and horses in the background, along with trees and a cloudy sky.
Women assisting a student on horseback, one wearing a helmet and the other in sunglasses, outdoors during daytime.

What is Therapeutic Riding?

Therapeutic riding is one form of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT). It is horseback riding combined with physical therapy.

The concept of utilizing horses for treatment can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. Later, in 17th century Europe, physicians utilized the horse to treat various neurological disorders. In the last century, when Liz Hartel won the silver medal in dressage in the 1952 Olympics in spite of having polio, medical and equestrian professionals all over the world began to take notice.

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Why the Horse?

The horse has the capacity to enrich a person's life physically, socially, and emotionally.  Learning to ride a horse is an exhilarating and rewarding experience for anyone.  For a person with a physical or learning challenge, it's more than that.  It's an opportunity to look beyond the disability and see the possibilities.  It's an affirmation that what may seem out of reach is, instead, within grasp.  And it instills a new found joy and confidence that overflows into every aspect of one's life.

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A woman riding a brown and white horse, wearing a red jacket, glasses, and a riding helmet, outdoors in a fenced area.

Become a volunteer!

Our volunteers are trained under the direct guidance of a PATH-certified instructor. TRC has been blessed with many volunteers of all ages. They serve TRC in a variety of tasks. Some volunteers assist with grooming the horses, cleaning tack, stalls, and the arena, and others serve as side-walkers and horse leaders. No matter the task, our volunteers have consistently provided us with the love and support needed to serve our students and our horses.

Woman in black helmet and sunglasses hugging a brown and white horse at an outdoor riding arena on a sunny day.
Two people, a woman and a young man, are standing outside with a brown horse. The woman holds the horse by the bridle, and both are smiling at the camera. The woman is wearing a blue hoodie and a purple cap, and the young man is wearing a cowboy hat and glasses. In the background, there are trees, a white building, and parked cars.
Group of five people, some wearing jackets, one in a large straw hat, standing and sitting next to a horse in an outdoor riding arena, with a rider on the horse, and green hills in the background.
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A spirit that overcomes disability.

“…TRC has helped Amy overcome physical obstacles, gain her core strength, as well as helped her with emotional and social benefits, gaining lifelong friendships…”

— Lori Tolan

Two horses facing each other behind a metal fence, with a tree and a clear sky in the background

Our special classes & programs

Horses on the Move

  • The Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach is now offering to bring a horse to your school, group or organization. Our horses love to travel, and we would love to bring one of them your way for a visit. Children and adults can get up close and personal with one of our school horses and learn about horse care and what it’s like to be a therapeutic riding horse. Minimum donation is $350. Give us a call for more information and to set up an appointment. We hope to see y'all real soon!

    For those who prefer a field trip to our facility, we will continue to welcome groups by appointment, and for a minimum donation of $200. Field trips to TRCHB also include a therapeutic riding class demonstration and an equestrian center barn walk tour.

Close-up of a brown horse with a white stripe on its face, wearing a blue halter, standing near a white fence with attached signage, and colorful braided mane extensions, under a cloudy sky.

Operation Free Ride

  • TRC is proud to be a member of the Horses4Heroes network. "Operation Free Ride" fulfills a mission that offers active duty personnel, reservists, veterans, first responders, critical care and hospice nurses, and special needs school teachers and their families a free horseback ride. For more information on the program, visit www.Horses4Heroes.org or call our office at 714.848.0966.

Horse bridles hanging on a wooden rack labeled with names like Olaf, Lott, Noah, and others in a barn or stable.

Reins of Success

  • The Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach and the Mounted Enforcement Unit of the Huntington Beach Police Department have united in order to develop and implement this exciting new opportunity for at-risk students in grades 5th through the 7th within the Huntington Beach Unified School District. Reins of Success builds citizenship values, instills a sense of responsibility (horse care) and provides a positive environment designed to prevent at-risk youth from engaging in or continuing risky behavior. The weekly two-hour classes run 35 weeks from September through June (school year). Students are required to achieve and maintain a B academic average and must be sponsored into the program.

Learn more about our regular class schedule

Class Schedule

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A girl riding a horse during a horseback riding lesson at an outdoor riding arena, with a person leading the horse.