About
Solid Strides offers spring and fall day camps, summer week camps, and Monday–Friday lessons that include hands-on horse activities. Participants learn to groom, tack, lead, do groundwork, observe horses and their behavior and movement, and take riding lessons. The program also offers equine-assisted psychotherapy.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Schedule: SPRING & FALL DAY CAMPS; SUMMER WEEK CAMPS; MONDAY – FRIDAY LESSONS
Solid Strides is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization with a mission of building an inclusive community of welcoming, supportive, and empowered equestrians and breaking down barriers while building up confident, skilled equestrians. The program strives to create a welcoming and inclusive space by actively inviting under-resourced, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+ and other historically underrepresented populations into the program and by reducing financial barriers to entry. Its stated goals include creating a safe environment for riders to develop the essential skills of good riding and good horsemanship, creating a space where historically excluded youth and families can feel safe and welcome, creating professional pathways for historically excluded people in the equine industry, helping reduce the financial impact of training and competition, celebrating underrepresented equestrians, teaching an evidence-based horse welfare-oriented, multi-disciplinary training program, and exploring the relationship between training and horse welfare. Solid Strides acknowledges being located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional Indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people.
Solid Strides began in 2017 focusing on training rescue horses and potential adoptees. In 2019 the focus began to shift toward creating a safe and welcoming environment for historically excluded youth to gain access to the horse world. In 2021 the organization began a variety of camps specifically designed as a low-barrier entry point so that kids who may be interested in horses can come to learn about and interact with their equine partners.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Katie Ebbage; Assistant Program Coordinator Kris Dunne; Instructor and Equine Specialist Nicole Rochelle; Mental Health Specialist Mollie Baker, LCSW, RYT-500; Instructor Megan Ross; Instructor Sonia Altenhoff; and Founder Alison Weston. Staff credentials include Nicole’s certification in Natural Lifemanship; Mollie’s licensure as a clinical social worker, therapist, and clinical supervisor, completion of EAGALA Model Fundamentals and Advanced Practice trainings, and MSW from the University of Pennsylvania (2014), as well as founding Mollie Baker Therapy LLC in 2025; Megan’s pursuit of a PhD from the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada and publication of horse welfare-based research; Sonia’s participation on the dressage team at Mt. Holyoke College; and Kris’s Teaching Degree and Bachelors of Education in Physical Education from Gonzaga University, Level 1 Certification from EAGALA obtained in Tennessee, and US National C Coaching License.
Early community partners acknowledged by Katie include Willamette Racism Response Network, Kids for the Culture, and Comunidad y Herencia Cultural. One testimonial states that a participant “had so much fun learning all aspects of being a good equestrian at your summer camps and her lessons are the highlight of her week.” Another testimonial states that Solid Strides has changed the person by teaching patience and responsibility and providing a place with friends who share a common love for horses, and notes that “every horse gives you something different and helps you in a certain way.”
Last updated June 11, 2026.
• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Schedule: SPRING & FALL DAY CAMPS; SUMMER WEEK CAMPS; MONDAY – FRIDAY LESSONS
Solid Strides is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization with a mission of building an inclusive community of welcoming, supportive, and empowered equestrians and breaking down barriers while building up confident, skilled equestrians. The program strives to create a welcoming and inclusive space by actively inviting under-resourced, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+ and other historically underrepresented populations into the program and by reducing financial barriers to entry. Its stated goals include creating a safe environment for riders to develop the essential skills of good riding and good horsemanship, creating a space where historically excluded youth and families can feel safe and welcome, creating professional pathways for historically excluded people in the equine industry, helping reduce the financial impact of training and competition, celebrating underrepresented equestrians, teaching an evidence-based horse welfare-oriented, multi-disciplinary training program, and exploring the relationship between training and horse welfare. Solid Strides acknowledges being located on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional Indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people.
Solid Strides began in 2017 focusing on training rescue horses and potential adoptees. In 2019 the focus began to shift toward creating a safe and welcoming environment for historically excluded youth to gain access to the horse world. In 2021 the organization began a variety of camps specifically designed as a low-barrier entry point so that kids who may be interested in horses can come to learn about and interact with their equine partners.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Katie Ebbage; Assistant Program Coordinator Kris Dunne; Instructor and Equine Specialist Nicole Rochelle; Mental Health Specialist Mollie Baker, LCSW, RYT-500; Instructor Megan Ross; Instructor Sonia Altenhoff; and Founder Alison Weston. Staff credentials include Nicole’s certification in Natural Lifemanship; Mollie’s licensure as a clinical social worker, therapist, and clinical supervisor, completion of EAGALA Model Fundamentals and Advanced Practice trainings, and MSW from the University of Pennsylvania (2014), as well as founding Mollie Baker Therapy LLC in 2025; Megan’s pursuit of a PhD from the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada and publication of horse welfare-based research; Sonia’s participation on the dressage team at Mt. Holyoke College; and Kris’s Teaching Degree and Bachelors of Education in Physical Education from Gonzaga University, Level 1 Certification from EAGALA obtained in Tennessee, and US National C Coaching License.
Early community partners acknowledged by Katie include Willamette Racism Response Network, Kids for the Culture, and Comunidad y Herencia Cultural. One testimonial states that a participant “had so much fun learning all aspects of being a good equestrian at your summer camps and her lessons are the highlight of her week.” Another testimonial states that Solid Strides has changed the person by teaching patience and responsibility and providing a place with friends who share a common love for horses, and notes that “every horse gives you something different and helps you in a certain way.”
Last updated June 11, 2026.
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