Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center offers adaptive riding lessons that teach horseback riding and horsemanship skills, as well as mounted riding classes and unmounted horsemanship lessons. The program also provides unmounted lessons with horses that teach character development, confidence, and reinforce life skills, along with therapeutic riding and other equine-assisted services. Community partners can participate in customized experiences, including half- to full-day trips to interact with the horses, and the program also offers a 2026 Summer Camp.

• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: Customized experiences ranging from half- to full-day trips

Giant Steps’ mission is dedicated to enriching lives through the power of horses, team, and community, and through equine assisted programs where people of all ages, means, and challenges experience therapeutic riding and activities. Since 1998, Giant Steps has harnessed the therapeutic power of horses, growing from an initial group of 10 riders and 19 volunteers to serving over 130 clients per week. The program’s founders, Robert and Lee, brought their 12 horses to the Bay Area in 1996, created the first home of Giant Steps in Petaluma, and were later recognized with the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2006 and the Real Heroes award from the American Red Cross in 2007; they remained supportive of the program until their deaths in 2014.

All classes are conducted or directly supervised by Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH, Intl.) Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors, and Giant Steps is a Premier Accredited Center by PATH Intl. PATH, Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors at Giant Steps are certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED, and must complete education hours each year to maintain accreditation. The leadership team includes Julie Larson, Program Director and PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning; Libby Porzig, Executive Director; Jen McWherter, Head Instructor and PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning; Sean Willer, Facility Manager & Riding Instructor; Audrey Draper, Barn Manager; Beth Raetz, Volunteer Coordinator and PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor; Sara Silberschatz, Assistant Barn Manager and Special Programming Coordinator; and several additional PATH, Intl. Certified Instructors and riding instructors.

Clients at Giant Steps have represented more than 60 distinct disabilities and challenges, as well as members of the military, and programs now also serve veterans and community partners. The program states that equine-assisted services empower individuals with diverse abilities to achieve their potential and that programs support clients in achieving physical, mental, and social goals to lead richer, more independent lives. Giant Steps works to create a culture of belonging by fostering an inclusive, safe, and affirming community, and describes joining Giant Steps as joining an inclusive community where different people connect and champion one another’s success.

Each horse at Giant Steps is evaluated and adequately trained for the work to be performed, and the characteristics of each horse are matched with a client’s needs and the proposed activities. Clients are properly evaluated at intake to ensure they are placed in an appropriate activity, and periodic re-assessments are conducted because conditions or disabilities may change. Facilities are maintained in good repair and are ADA compliant, with emergency procedures and safety regulations in place, and horses are assured to be given a high level of care.

Giant Steps also hosts Farm to Stable, an annual fundraiser and signature evening at the barn that brings the community together, featuring fine local food and wine in a setting described as celebrating community, inclusion, and possibility. The organization works to create a safe space where people can come and share their experiences with other families. The geometric horse in the Giant Steps logo represents the multi-faceted nature of the program and has been dubbed “Hero” because each of the clients, horses, and volunteers is described as a hero, and the name “Hero” was also chosen because it is easy to pronounce for many clients. One parent, Pope, shared that “One day, someone — I’ll never know who — put a blurb in a cerebral palsy support group newsletter, and the phone started ringing off the hook.”

Last updated March 28, 2026.