CHAPS Equine Assisted Services

CHAPS is dedicated to improving quality of life for youth, adults, seniors and veterans in our community. Our mission is to be a resource for empowerment & healing as well as physical & mental well-being through equine assisted services.

According to a study by RAND Corporation, 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD or depression and is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis in veterans using VA hospitals.

Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy has been found to significantly decrease psychological symptoms in individuals with trauma or abuse, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, or autism spectrum disorder (Rothe et al., 2005).

The equine-human bond, in tandem with the client-therapist relationship, allows for the processing of painful emotions and experiences while simultaneously developing intimacy, identity, and partnership. This dual process creates an efficient and successful therapeutic program (Klontz et al., 2007; Yorke, Adams, & Coady, 2008).

Although MacKinnon, Noh, Laliberte, Lariviere, and Allan (1995) found no significant results in quantitative measurements of gross motor function in subjects with cerebral palsy in a therapeutic riding program, qualitative measures described steady progress in the areas of core strength, strength, balance, and seated posture.

Improvement in cognitive skills such as sensory processing, focus, attention, and the ability to follow directions as well as increased social interaction and relationship-building support the findings of Bass, Duchowny and Llabre (2009).

CHAPS offers therapeutic riding, therapeutic driving, equine assisted learning and equine facilitated psychotherapy to help clients work through individual problems. The main goal is to improve quality of life for every client we see.

EAS has been proven to improve balance, coordination, seated posture, core strength, focus, socialization, social skills, spatial awareness, problem solving and more while decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

CHAPS employs three PATH Certified Instructors, a CHA Certified Instructor, a licensed professional counselor, a barn manager and an Executive Director. We offer four programs and multiple volunteer opportunities. We serve youth with learning disabilities, youth living with physical or cognitive disabilities, at-risk youth, adults living with disabilities, Veterans, law enforcement, EMS, frontline medical professionals, and aged community members living with dementia. Additionally, CHAPS partners with Uprising, a local anti-human trafficking organization to educate middle school youth on consent, healthy boundaries and healthy relationships.

CHAPS is a community partner and works closely with several agencies as well as individual clinicians and physicians. CHAPS has partnered with Mary Baldwin University, Casper College and the University of North Dakota to provide internships for Occupational Therapy students and BYU-Idaho to provide an internship for mental health students. In addition, CHAPS offers clinics and mentorship programs for our community.

CHAPS is a Premier Accredited Center with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), International. In 2021 & 2022, our instructors were named Certified Professional of the Year for Region 10 (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming). In 2023, our Barn Manager was named Equine Caretaker of the Year for Region 10.

Our instructors complete over 20 hours of CEU's each year. Additional training is highly encouraged and provided by CHAPS.

CHAPS Executive Director has been named to serve on the PATH International Equine Services 4 Heroes Committee and to represent the state of Wyoming as the PATH International WY State Chairperson.

CHAPS participants were named the 2017 & 2023 PATH International Equine Services 4 Heroes Awardee.

CHAPS is growing to serve more people in our community. We have developed new programs and continue to improve old ones. We are pleased to announce we have a waiting list and the only thing holding us back is funding and space.

CHAPS is fast out-growing our current facility and is seeking funding for a capital campaign to purchase a larger facility. In order to grow and serve more people, we will need a larger facility so more than one instructor can teach at the same time as well as more pasture for an increased herd size.

In 2020, CHAPS began offering a weekend Veteran Retreat that has been very well received and very well attended. We have had a request to hold a retreat for survivors of human trafficking and are still working to see if that can be done.

In 2015, CHAPS served 85 people per year. In 2023, we served 285 individuals. The demand for services is growing and we are working hard to keep up.