Founder Anne Davis left a 20-year career in the airline industry to start Horses With Hope in 2007. Inspired by her daughter, Jamie Lynn--now 17--who happened to be born with Down Syndrome, Anne started a therapeutic riding program on a farm in Washington, PA, leasing the facilities and horses. The program began with three students and quickly grew to capacity, serving 27 clients per week, with more than 75 volunteers.

 

In 2013 Horses with Hope incorporated as a nonprofit organization, bought four horses and moved the program to the South Hills of Pittsburgh. This expansion enabled the program to nearly double the number of individuals served per week to 50, with well over 100 volunteers from surrounding communities. This growth is attributable to both our reputation and efforts of outreach to the underserved groups that we knew could benefit from our services including group homes for the physically and developmentally disabled, a psychiatric hospital working with the mental health populations, Pittsburgh Public Schools and Allegheny Intermediate Unit Schools.

 

By 2014 the learning center had expanded to 100 clients per week, when school is in session, offering both therapeutic riding and Equine Assisted Learning sessions. Of the organization’s 100+ volunteers, 70% are teenagers engaged in service learning. We are recognized by 4 universities as a site for internships.

​