Horses with Hope is a Discovery, Growth & Learning center working with individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, Behavioral Health and Veterans.

At Horses with Hope (HWH), our mission is to apply the power of equine therapy to improve the physical, mental, emotional, and social quality of life for the Pittsburgh region’s children, youth, and adults with physical and behavioral health challenges. HWH was founded in 2007 by Anne Davis who was inspired to start a therapeutic riding program on a farm in Washington, PA after the birth of her daughter, Jamie, now 20, was born with Down Syndrome. 

Today, HWH serves over 500 youth and adults annually through equine-assisted therapeutic programs. Though we serve both youth and adults, youth ages 8-18 make up 80% of our service population, especially at-risk youth. At-risk youth struggling with social, emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral challenges often need a creative way to express themselves. Animals, particularly Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), has proven an incredibly successful alternative therapy for children and adolescents suffering from Social Emotional Disturbance (SED). Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) both are models of incorporating horses in experiential therapy or learning activities. EAP is a team of an equine specialist and mental health provider and involves focusing on specific treatment goals and issues with which the clients have entered the program. EAL is a similar process, but involves a focus on specific educational objectives, such as life skills. The facilitating team focuses on the life skill through the experiential process. One of the most fundamental therapeutic goals for individuals with an SED is increasing their empathic regard for others. Studies have shown that including animals as co-therapists have proven critically successful in instructing children and adolescents with SEDs to be more empathetic toward both animals and humans. Our work is supported by certified instructors, an active Board of Directors, and a team of 100+ volunteers.

Our overall goal is to increase the number of individuals with intellectual disabilities and those struggling with anxiety & depression who gain an improved understanding of self, improved understanding of kindness and empathy towards others, integrity in communication, and self-discipline through the horse-human therapeutic approach.