Hoofbeats with Heart

Hoofbeats is dedicated to helping children and adults who are coping with physical and mental challenges – autism, mental illness, emotional trauma, developmental delays, paralysis, behavioral disorders, and disabling illnesses.

Our organization has had great success helping families in both Maricopa and Pinal Counties in central Arizona, but it is not enough. We strive to serve as many families as we can and we do not turn anyone away. Our motto is “Come as you are, we are here to serve you”. Which is why we are looking to expand our program. We are looking to serve more families with the unique therapies we offer.

In Arizona, one in 34 children is diagnosed with autism. Health officials are projecting that by the year 2024, one in four will be diagnosed and one in three will graduate from school with no life skills. Equine therapy is proven successful in helping individuals with autism who often struggle with sensitivity to sights and sounds, are unable to verbally communicate or have difficulty relating to other children. We see miraculous changes in these conditions when people with autism have the opportunity to interact with horses.

Hoofbeats also partners with law enforcement to offer a pre-diversion program featuring equine-assisted psychotherapy for youth whose behavior has led to entry into the juvenile justice system. There were 26,298 arrests of children under 18 in Arizona in 2017 with the majority (77%) for “less serious” offenses like vandalism and disorderly conduct. In Pinal County, there were 1,244 juvenile arrests in 2018 and 10,509 in Maricopa County. The majority of these incidents, 80%, were nonviolent crimes like larceny and drugs (Casey Foundation Kids Count 2019).

We will soon be providing adult daycare, and we have partnered with a veteran who specializes in mental health and trauma issues in veterans and their families.

Since its inception, Hoofbeats has been evolving to serve more of the community in the Phoenix metro area.
All of our programs are conducted by nationally certified instructors and therapists with assistance from over 100 volunteers. Hoofbeats employs 13 therapists with certifications in occupational therapy, occupational therapy assistant, hippotherapy, physical therapy, aqua therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral health. Additionally, we offer a program for veterans suffering from injuries and/or PTSD as well as a program for those grieving the loss of a loved one.
We offer our therapy programs at Hoofbeats’ ranch in San Tan Valley, AZ where we perform equine-assisted therapy as well as therapies in a traditional clinic setting.
In March of 2022, with the approval of the Arizona Department of Disabilities, we will be opening an adult day care facility in Apache Junction, AZ
Our therapy animals include retired show horses or horsed rescued from abuse/neglect situations. We are presently training a zebra and two camels to also act as therapy animals.

Since our inception in 2007, we have upgraded one ranch and procured another to provide service in two counties of the Phoenix metro area.
Aquatherapy has been added to our treatments.
In response to the pandemic, we offer telehealth when appropriate.
A facility to provide adult daycare has been procured in Apache Junction, AZ, and the program was started in April 2022.
We have partnered with the Pinal County Sheriff to provide equine-assisted therapy to at-risk youth.
We have also partnered with a U.S. veteran specializing in PTSD and other traumas to provide service to military veterans and their families.
Our family of therapy animals has grown with the unique addition of two camels, a zebra and a zebu which are in the process of being trained.
We continue to be the only equine therapy center in Arizona’s East Valley to offer all four equine-assisted activities and therapy services recognized by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH).