OUR MISSION & HISTORY

Original logo, 1983

The mission of SIRE is to provide a community where horses help people with disabilities and challenges to live their best life.

SIRE was founded in the Houston area in 1983. A generous donation in 1995 gave SIRE a permanent home in Hockley, paving the way for the rapid growth of services. In 2000, SIRE merged with another center near George Bush Intercontinental Airport, bringing services to Spring, The Woodlands and northeast Harris County. Our southwest location started in 2006 and moved to the Richmond State Supported Living Center in 2012. SIRE has grown from serving a few riders each week with borrowed facilities and horses to providing over 10,000 instructional hours per year through riding and training programs; which has increased more than of 52 percent since 2012.

SIRE is recognized by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) as a Premier Accredited Center and serves almost 300 riders in our weekly lesson program. The cost to provide this level of therapeutic horsemanship is $5,200 per rider, per year. All SIRE riders are subsidized by the generous community support of our donors so that fees are kept at less than one-half the actual cost. SIRE provides additional financial aid based on need for families in extraordinary situations. For many people, therapeutic riding is an effective, less expensive and fun alternative to traditional therapies; 86 percent of our riders report that SIRE has been the best activity of all the various therapies and activities they have tried. We are proud that 100 percent of SIRE riders report growth in at least one of the following areas: strength, emotional stability or social skills.

The number one diagnosis we serve is autism. Although our riders’ ages can range from three years to senior citizens, the greatest percentage of our riders are children. SIRE also has a strong connection with the military, wounded veterans, and their families. Our riders reside in six counties in the Houston metropolitan and outlying areas, with the majority residing in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

RIDE

Maximum of 4 riders.
Minimum age required 3 years old.

DONATE

Provide scholarships for riders and equine care for SIRE horses.

VOLUNTEER

Sign up to volunteer inside or outside the arena today.