ECHO’s Mission
- Provide financial support to enable individuals of any skill level to participate in equine facilitated activities who find difficulty securing resources to initiate or advance their training and show experience. This includes but is not limited to riding lessons (both typical and therapeutic), horse camps and shows.
- Provide support and resources for programs seeking assistance with facility improvements and equipment. This includes personal safety equipment (e.g. helmets, boots, and half-chaps), tack (e.g. regular and therapy saddles, bridles, reins and other appropriate equine equipment) and facilities improvements (including special needs assistance modifications) for use by individuals, programs and equine professionals who otherwise would not be able to afford them.
- Provide support for education and training to assist individuals providing equine facilitated activities. This includes training of volunteers (such as therapeutic riding side walkers) as well as appropriate facilities modifications, certification, licensure and continuing education for instructors, trainers, managers and other equine professionals.
- Provide support for training and/or reeducation of horses to be used for the purposes of integrated programming such as lessons, therapeutic riding, team building and mental health and chemical dependency therapy.