One single form is to be completed by a medical healthcare professional. All participants in Wings of Hope's therapeutic programs have a diagnosed disability or challenge by a medical healthcare professional.  

This form can be completed by any licensed healthcare professional such as but not limited to your primary care physician, psychiatrist, pediatrician, neurologist, counselor, etc. 

A wide variety of disabilities and challenges are served through the programs at Wings of Hope. Any individual navigating any type of diagnosed physical, mental or emotional challenge, disability or diagnosis is served. Such as but not limited to: Autism, Bi-Polar, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Epilepsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Premature Birth, PTSD, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, and so much more. 

Client Eligibility: All clients must be at least 4 years of age, and must have a diagnosed disability from a licensed medical healthcare professional. In addition, specific criteria must be met depending upon the program of participation. 

Mounted Therapeutic Horsemanship Eligibility

Must have a diagnosed disability.

Must be 195lbs or less.

Must be able to wear a helmet for the duration of the lesson and have head and neck control.

Must have the ability to sit independently off of the horse. 

Must be able to sit independently on the horse without fully relying on the assistance of another to be upright for the duration of the lesson. 

A varied degree of assistance can be provided by volunteers as a side walker, but the maximum level of support will be based on client weight and size, for safety purposes.

Clients needing full support from 1 or 2 side walkers must be less than 100lbs.

No outward acts of aggression towards others or the horse.

Must be able or willing to stay on the horse for an hour, in an arena or out on the trail, without trying to dismount.

Must be able to mount the horse at the ramp or at the block in a safe and timely manner.

Ground-based Therapeutic Horsemanship Program Eligibility

Must have a diagnosed disability.

Must be able to navigate the terrain of uneven ground.

No outward acts of aggression towards others or the horse.

Must be able or willing to stay with the instructor and horse in a pasture or stall area without trying to run away.

The only age restriction for clients to become an equestrian is you must be 4 or older to begin. There is no maximum age restriction. 

 Riders participating in therapeutic riding must be 195 lbs. or lighter. 

For the safety of both horse and rider, clients who require full support or significant physical assistance while riding must weigh less than 100 pounds to participate in therapeutic riding.

In order to ensure the safety of both our participants and our horses, our program requires that riders meet certain minimum support criteria.

Riders must be considered minimal support for their size and weight, based on what our horses are able to safely carry. For our program a client who is needing full support from 2 side walkers must weigh less than 100 lbs. 

We are able to accomodate riders over 100 lbs who do need minimal to moderate support, meaning:

The rider does not require a sidewalker on both sides; only a horse leader and one sidewalker who is available for emergency support.

The rider can sit up independently without assistance.

The rider can maintain balance and remain centered in the saddle without needing ongoing adjustments from the sidewalker.

Yes we can! All programs are tailored to all abilities. You do not need to walk on your own to participate. Many of our riders use wheelchairs. However, for safety, you must be able to sit on and off the horse without support and have steady trunk, core, and neck control for therapeutic riding. 

For therapeutic riding we have a ramp to accommodate the horse and rider team.  From there, our horses, staff, and volunteers are specially trained to safely assist or lift riders onto the horse. 

For ground-based horsemanship, you can participate while using a wheelchair or any assistive device. You’ll need to be able to safely navigate uneven terrain in the pasture and barn/stall areas.

Sessions are $50.00 per session once per week for therapeutic program sessions.  Applications for Financial Aid are available upon request and available for individuals who meet our financial assistance criteria! 

At this time, therapeutic horsemanship is considered recreational and not accepted as billable through insurance. However,  a number of other resources are available to families through state & local agencies. Financial information is discussed in further detail during the initial evaluation meet & greet so that no one is ever turned away for inability to pay.

Participants will need to bring water and wear closed-toe shoes, tall socks, long pants, and appropriate outerwear condusive to being outdoors. Riding or cowboy boots are not  required but are encouraged. 

An ASTM/SEI equestrian riding helmet is mandatory for all therapeutic riding  lessons.  A helmet is made available for all participants. Clients may use one of the provided helmets or use their own ASTM/SEI equestrian riding helmet which needs to be less than 5 years old from the manufacturer date located inside the helmet. Any helmet involved in an incident must be disposed of. 

We operate September through May pending weather, with lessons Monday-Thursday morning, afternoon and evening. We are closed on Saturday & Sunday. Friday is reserved for Field Trips and Team Building. 

Mounted lessons are 1 hour. Ground Based lessons are private 30 minutes. 

You must commit to the same day/time weekly.  Applications are accepted year round. 

Optional Summer camps are provided during the mornings only in June - July during the peak of Texas summer heat.  

If a client is unable to attend their scheduled lesson, 24-hour advance notice is required to help ensure volunteer retention.  Clients are allotted 8 absences in a year. 

If you are running late for your lesson you must call and let the office know. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your lesson therefore you must be present at the start of your lesson or you will be considered absent for the day and your horse and team will no longer be available. 

Wings of Hope is located just South of Fort Worth . We are aproximatley 25 minutes from the I-35/820 mixmaster. 

We are located 2 miles West of I-35 just off of FM 917 within 3 miles of Burleson city limits. 

Our physical address is 4200 County Road 806 Cleburne, Tx 76031.

The evaluation is a no cost meet & greet at Wings of Hope to discuss your goals, abilities, challenges, any concerns, scheduling, etc.  The prospective client and family will join a staff member at the barn for a tour of the facility and to meet horses. You will not ride during the evaluation. Evaluations typically last 30 minutes to an hour. 

There are both mounted and ground-based activity opportunities.  During the evaluation process we will help determine which program is a best fit for your goals and your needs. 

We are firm believers in collaborations that further impact our community. If you represent an agency that is interested in partnering with us we encourage you to reach out to our office staff at programs@wingsofhopehorses.org to discuss pricing, scheduling,  evaluations, availability, etc. 

 To start the process, you must complete an online interest form which consists of completing forms with goals, abilities, challenges etc. to be completed by the client or parent/guardian. 

There is one form to be completed and signed by a medical healthcare professional. 

After you submit your interest form online and email your completed medicalf orm you will hear from a member of our team for next steps. Once all the completed paperwork has been received, a meet & greet evaluation will be set up at Wings of Hope. 

1) Email programs@wingsofhopehorses.org with any questions about getting started. 

2) Complete the online interest form 3)  Submit a signed physician form and return to programs@wingsofhopehorses.org. 

4) A staff member will call you and set up an evaluation. 

5) Complete evaluation and discuss scheduling. 

6) Clients are added to the schedule after the completion of an evaluation pending schedule/volunteer availability.