ManeGait

Where horses become healers.

At ManeGait, children and adults with disabilities move beyond their boundaries through the healing power of the horse and the dedication of a professional, caring community.

Founded in 2007, ManeGait began as a calling rooted in faith, a love of horses, and a deep commitment to those in need. Today, it is a nationally recognized center of hope and healing, serving 150 riders per session with the help of 30 therapy horses and 1,200 volunteers.

A Growing Need
More than 400 individuals are on our waitlist, each of them waiting for a horse, a session, a chance. The Beacon Project, ManeGait's capital expansion now nearing completion, is our answer to that waitlist. A second covered arena, a new 32-stall barn to grow our herd, and a dedicated therapy and brain-building center will together double our capacity to serve. 

The more riders we can reach, the more lives we change. Your gift is helping to make that happen!

It begins with a horse.

The rhythmic, three-dimensional movement of the horse is unlike anything else in therapy. Every step, every breath, every bond formed in the arena is part of how ManeGait builds brains, bodies, and lives.

Why the horse?

• Neurological Stimulation: A horse's gait mirrors the human walking pattern, sending signals to the brain that unlock movement and coordination in riders with paralysis and neurological conditions.

• Core Strength and Balance: Staying seated on a moving horse engages hundreds of stabilizing muscles simultaneously, often achieving in one session what takes many traditional therapy visits to replicate.

• Emotional Connection: Horses respond to human emotion and presence. That authentic, unfiltered bond builds trust, reduces anxiety, and opens doors that traditional therapy cannot.

• A Sport to Call Their Own: Riders learn to walk, trot, canter, and compete as equestrians. For many, this is their one and only sport. Equestrian competition offers athletes with disabilities an equal playing field and a pathway to pride, identity, and achievement.

32 horses. 150 lives changed every session.

Each of ManeGait's therapy horses is a specially selected, highly trained partner in healing. They are calm under pressure, attuned to their riders, and irreplaceable. 

Your gift at work.

Support the care of ManeGait’s therapy horses and the riders who depend on them. Choose your giving level below and see exactly what your gift makes possible.

The horses change everything.

“I came to ManeGait for the horses, but I stayed for the miracles.”

— Johnda D., Volunteer

“It's physical, occupational, speech, and emotional therapy—all in one ride.”

— Kelly W., Rider Parent

“For the first time in 17 years I finally feel like I made it home in mind, body, and spirit. I'm actually able to be there to support the ones that I love after they have supported me for so many years. I have never been able to say these words and mean them for so long. Thank you thank you thank you. Each and every one of you at ManeGait means the world to me and my family.”

— Chad F., GaitWay Veteran Participant