SpiritHorse in American Canyon celebrates 10 years of healing through horses
This year, SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center of the San Francisco Bay Area is celebrating a decade of calling American Canyon home and helping community members connect with horses.
The site is one of dozens under SpiritHorse International, a nonprofit that trains centers worldwide to offer equine therapy to children with developmental disorders and neurodivergence. Riding centers accredited by the international organization offer a variety of assistive programs and camps throughout the year.
“I lead the program through my heart and feel like it’s my mission to use horses to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Charlotte Dougherty, founder of SpiritHorse in American Canyon.
This week, SpiritHorse is hosting its Pony Pals and Horse Play summer camps. Each camp is three hours long for three days and caters to different age groups. Camp schedules and registration information can be found online at spirithorsebayarea.org.
Pony Pals takes place in the morning and is for children ages 3 to 6. The camp provides participants with an introduction to ponies and aims to help them build confidence around the animals through a variety of gentle, hands-on experiences. Crafts and games are used to encourage connection between children and ponies.
Horse Play begins in the afternoon and is designed for children ages 7 and older. The camp offers interactive activities, riding opportunities and playtime. Campers practice teamwork and responsibility while bonding with the animals and their peers.
Campers have the opportunity to play with, pet and connect with the animals on the property. SpiritHorse is home to 18 ponies and horses, five goats, four potbellied pigs, a miniature donkey and a lamb, as well as ducks and chickens.
Other camps include the Sisterhood through Harmony & Horses Camp, aimed at helping young women build leadership skills and a sense of empowerment, and H.E.Y. Teen Camp, which caters to underserved teens and promotes the development of communication, trust and perseverance.
SpiritHorse also offers an Autism-Friendly Equine Camp designed to create a sensory-friendly environment where neurodiverse children can connect with animals and engage in new experiences at a comfortable pace.
In addition to camps, SpiritHorse has year-round programs that offer equine therapy to homeschooled children, veterans, at-risk youth, trauma survivors, seniors and corporate teams.
Dougherty said she was first inspired to create SpiritHorse based on her own experience healing from trauma and addiction through equine therapy.
“My past gives me the compassion and the empathy to be able to connect with all different types of people,” Dougherty said. “I like to give back.”
Before it became part of SpiritHorse, the property belonged to Dougherty’s uncle. In 2012, she took over the land and started SpiritHorse with a single horse, offering free riding lessons to the community. By 2015, the program had evolved into the facility that stands today.
Dougherty said that many of the animals at SpiritHorse came from abusive situations and had endured things like starvation. She said they have been given a second lease on life by being part of the program and interacting with the children and adults they meet.
She explained that, as part of SpiritHorse International, her program receives some funding through grants and donations. Despite these resources, feeding and caring for the animals is still costly, and those who care for them work on a volunteer basis.
“We’re always talking people into coming out and volunteering,” said Trish Hayley, a retired pre-school teacher who’s been volunteering at SpiritHorse for five years. “There is always stuff that needs to be done out here.”
Through SpiritHorse, Dougherty hopes to continue to bring the healing power of horses to those who need it most – in her community and beyond.
