Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program

Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program offers therapeutic riding and horsemanship for children and adults. It also lists individual and group therapeutic riding lessons for people with special needs, as well as a weekly horsemanship class for adults in the Hidden Wings Adult Program.

Programs

• Therapeutic riding and horsemanship — children and adults · weekly
• Individual and group therapeutic riding lessons — people with special needs · Listed under current collaborations.
• Solvang School’s Special Education — weekly therapeutic riding lessons
• Elks Golden Circle of Champions
• Momentum WORK Inc — weekly therapeutic riding lessons
• Santa Maria School District — weekly therapeutic riding lessons
• Santa Barbara Behavioral Wellness (BeWell)
• Vandenberg Space Force Base Field Days — special needs children
• Hidden Wings Adult Program — adults · weekly horsemanship class

At a glance

• Ages: 0–18 years old
• General schedule: Weekly therapeutic riding and horsemanship programs; weekly therapeutic riding lessons; weekly horsemanship class.

About the provider

The program was founded in 1990 and became a separate 501(c)(3) in 2000. It is a Premier Accredited Center with PATH International, and PATH Intl. certifies its instructors and provides guidance and continuing education. The program serves almost 70 students each week and 300 unduplicated people each year. Programs contact is Kim Dotzler, and volunteers contact is Whitney Simpson.

• Travels with Teacup — We bring our miniature horse to your organization.

We’re currently not accepting new participants for our weekly therapeutic riding and horsemanship programs. A waitlist is available. Students must have a physician’s release to ride. Individual Lessons are $50 per person. Scholarships are available based on funding. The program is open regardless of ability to pay.

What families say

“There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse.” — Aleksandra Layland

Last updated September 24, 2026.