Become a Sustaining Donor

1. Fund a Student

At Healing with Horses Ranch, we celebrate the diverse abilities of all our participants. Disabilities may affect vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, behavior, mental health, communication, & more. Some disabilities are visible, while others are “invisible.” Whether a person is born with a disability or acquires one later in life, they all deserve inclusion, respect, & opportunities.

While self-advocacy & inclusion efforts are helping to fight ableism, people with disabilities still face mistreatment & discrimination. The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, was a major step toward equity, but there’s still work to be done.

Our mission is to create space for healthy relationships between horses & humans, helping students learn transferable life skills in a safe, inclusive environment. We strive to promote resilience & independence in mind, body, & soul through the power of the horse. Our programs foster these values & support individuals of all abilities. We want to continue to grow to meet the needs of the greater Austin area. 

We believe in providing accessible & affordable services. The percentages listed by each lesson amount equate to the discount our clients receive. Between the cost of the facility, horse care, & instructor pay, a lesson costs us $140. Instead of charging at cost, we automatically give every student a 40% discount. We also offer financial scholarships, based on household income. Our veterans program is free to all participants. You will see this reflected in the options below, which are directly sampled from our active student database. 

Read our student testimonials to hear first-hand from some of the people who’s lives you’ll be directly impacting.

2. Fund an Equine

As the common phrase goes… it takes a village! In 2024, the Ranch spent over $100k on horse care, which includes hay, grain, veterinary care, chiropractic, acupuncture, supplements, and other things to keep our horses healthy & happy. They are at the center of our work, and we strive always to provide them the quality of care they need and deserve.

We partner with a variety of breeds, shapes, and personalities of horses to meet the needs of our riders. Each horse goes through a careful screening process, both to ensure their temperament and soundness is appropriate for the program and to make sure this is the kind of work they will enjoy. Learn more about our individual herd members here.

With 18 equines to care for 24/7/365, even the little things add up quickly! We go through over 1 bottle a week of allergy meds, and a bag of grain every 2 days. Round bales of hay range around $100, and the herd eats through 2-3 per week.

Daily horse care is calculated by averaging grain + meds + hay + vet & farrier over the course of the year. The cheapest keeper is Sweet Pea at $2 per day, and the most expensive is Hercules at $14. The herd of Ranch horses cost around $105 total in daily care, which comes out to over $3k per month! Other services we regularly purchase for the herd include:

• Chiropractor ($80) as needed
• Acupuncture ($100) as needed
• Front shoes ($100) for Apple, Avalon, Casper, Peach, & Sugar
• Leather pads & shoes ($130) for Dash
• Arthritis injections ($550) for Calloway, Dusty, & Hercules

3. Fund a Project

Calling all dreamers! We have big ones, and we want YOU to help us achieve them! Every single dollar makes a difference.

Our facilities team of volunteers are constantly working on projects at the Ranch. Grass always needs mowing, fences need mending, and broken things need fixing. Additionally, we are always upgrading outdated or unsafe structures, and adding new structures to improve the quality of life at the Ranch.

Listed below are some items on our strategic plan:

• Replacing all metal panel fencing with wooden fencing
• Shelters for Fuller & Hope Fields
• Insulation for the main barn (to improve temperature control & minimize highway noise)
• A new front gate & signage
• Paving the driveway & parking lot
• Installing gutters, piping, & sprinklers to recycle rainwater
• A paved & covered wash area
• Offices & a covered round pen in Candland Field as a dedicated area for Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Not only would a monthly gift allow us to safely maintain & beautify our current footprint, it also allows us to expand our programs to reach more of the Greater Austin community.