RED BARN FOUNDATION

The Red Barn aspires to offer the highest quality in equine-assisted horsemanship and learning. We aspire to grow our programs and develop a scholarship program that allows families to participate regardless of their finances. The Red Barn also aims to be a leader in the special needs and equine-assisted services communities by providing training and mentorship to other organizations and professionals in the field.

The Red Barn's programs designed to serve individuals are equine-assisted learning, equine-assisted horsemanship, a veteran's program, and instructor training. Therapeutic horseback riding lessons are individualized according to the student's goals and adapted according to the student's abilities. They are led by certified instructors who are specifically matched with students and horses suited to their needs, goal-directed, and meticulously recorded for the purpose of evaluation at the end of the term. All camps and classes are inclusive. Research shows that inclusive programs, particularly those incorporating equine-assisted services, can improve social interaction, self-regulation and motor skills, provide greater access to the general curriculum, and promote an appreciation of individual differences. The program for veterans offers therapeutic, recreational, and educational activities to active and inactive veterans and their families at no cost. The instructor training program aims to equip future leaders in special needs and equine-assisted services by hosting regular professional development certifications, classes, and workshops.

The Red Barn's program staff are professionally trained to safely and effectively serve our participants. Many of our instructors possess both the Certified Horsemanship Association's certification for Instructors of Riders with Disabilities as well as certification from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International. Additionally, The Red Barn employs two certified Occupational Therapists, special education teachers, and autism specialists in order to serve our participants better. The Red Barn's Executive Director holds both a certificate in Non-Profit Management as well as a Master's in Public Administration.

The Red Barn also has a strong relationship with community partners to help better meet our goals and serve the community. These partners include Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Coalition, JBS Mental Health, The Amelia Center, Transitioning Families, UAB, University of Alabama, Samford University, The Foundry, and multiple school systems.

By the end of 2021, our riding program returned to levels similar to before the pandemic.

In 2022, we created the first-ever Therapeutic Riding Instructor Apprenticeship through the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. This on-the-job training program is competency-based rather than time-based and is designed to pair the apprentice one-on-one with a mentor. This apprenticeship was created to help develop a standard for this job title across the country to promote growth in the profession of therapeutic riding instructors. We worked with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship to create this program. The Red Barn’s first apprentice began in October 2022.

Unfortunately, we were not able to do any off-property shows in 2022. Travel costs, particularly gasoline, increased exponentially and inhibited our ability to attend off-site shows. We hope to be able to take more students to horse shows in 2023. We did have our annual internal horse show offered to all current riding students, and we are happy to say that this was the highest-attended horse show we’ve had in recent years. There were 36 individual students in attendance.

At the beginning of 2022, there were just over 60 individuals on our waiting list. By the end of the year, there were 84 individuals on the waiting list. This increase comes despite the fact that we added 13 new riding students to our current programs from our waiting list in 2022. It also accounts for several individuals who dropped during our annual renewal that ensure all those on the list are still interested and available to participate in our
programs.

We still maintain a high retention rate. We maintained an 80% retention rate between Fall 2021 and Fall 2022. This is a major factor in why our waiting list remains so large. Additionally, a high percentage (69%) of our riding students receive a full scholarship. Our waiting list is similar, as 66% of our waiting list students have applied and qualified for a full scholarship. Students who do not receive a scholarship still receive a subsidized rate as donations are used to keep lesson prices similar to those of typical riding lessons. Our program fills a critical need in our community by providing services at no cost for low-income families.

In 2014, we began using the Rider Instruction and Evaluation System (RIDES) to track the mastery of riding skills divided into five levels. Each level contains both mounted and unmounted skills, and mastery is checked at the end of each term. In 2022, 16 students moved up a level, and the remaining students all continued to make
progress in mastering skills on their current level.

We provided surveys to students, parents, and leaders from outside agencies at the end of each equine-assisted learning class. We received 100% satisfaction for all surveys in 2022.