HALTER (Healing & Learning Through Equine Relationships)
Spartanburg, South Carolina
HALTER (Healing & Learning Through Equine Relationships) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Spartanburg, South Carolina, based on the campus of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. It offers therapeutic riding, hippotherapy and equine assisted learning. Its mission is to improve the lives of children with challenges through equine assisted services, education and research.
- Therapeutic/adaptive riding
- Hippotherapy with physical or occupational therapists
- Equine assisted learning (weekly sessions or workshops)
- Mental health services (very limited)
- Camps and field trips
- Children and young people up to age 21
- Children with physical, intellectual or emotional challenges
- Cerebral palsy
- Autism
- Developmental delay
- Attention-deficit disorder
- Post-traumatic stress
- Former participants 21 and older (equine assisted learning)
More about this center
About the Program
Therapeutic riding is taught by a certified instructor with help from volunteers. Riders work on riding skills and social-emotional learning, such as body control, following multi-step directions and signaling choices, with individual goals for each rider. Classes meet weekly from September through May, with limited summer riding.
Hippotherapy is provided with Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation, where a physical or occupational therapist works with the horse toward specific therapy goals. Sessions are weekly until the therapist discharges the child. Equine assisted learning is an unmounted, skill-building service focused on emotional management, empathy, relationships and responsible decision-making.
Getting Started
Families complete the participant registration form, and HALTER then schedules an assessment of the child's needs and goals. If there is an opening, enrollment usually begins within a couple of weeks; otherwise the child joins a waitlist. The waitlist is not first come, first served: children are matched to the opening that suits them best, and waitlisted children get priority for summer camps. For hippotherapy, families contact Spartanburg Regional Pediatric Rehabilitation at (864) 560-5151.
The Horses and Staff
According to its website, instructors are credentialed through PATH Intl.. Nancy Paschall is the executive director, and Sarah Newman is the program coordinator. The Our Horses page profiles nine horses, including an Appaloosa, Quarter Horses, Kentucky Mountain gaited horses, a Paint Tennessee Walking Horse, a Percheron-Arab cross and a Welsh pony.
History
HALTER began when Lalage Warrington set out to organize a therapeutic riding program at her farm in Campobello. The program soon moved to Shirley George's stables on Highway 56, then to the School for the Deaf and Blind campus in 2006. A large covered arena was built in 2013, so classes can continue in rain or heat.
Location
HALTER is at 1400 Carolina Country Club Road, Spartanburg, SC 29302, on the campus of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. Mail goes to P.O. Box 1403, Spartanburg, SC 29304.
From public records, not yet reviewed by the center · Last updated Oct 2026 Suggest an edit
Common Questions
Answered from the center’s own website and public records.
Who can take part?
Any child up to age 21 with physical, intellectual or emotional challenges can apply. Former participants 21 and older may qualify for equine assisted learning.
How much does therapeutic riding cost?
Riding is billed by the school year or semester and can be paid monthly. The monthly cost depends on the day of the week and averages $100 per month, as listed. Riding is not covered by insurance, but hippotherapy through Spartanburg Regional may be. See our guide to equine therapy costs.
Is there a waitlist?
Yes, when programs are full. Children are placed based on the best match for each opening rather than in strict order.
How do I contact HALTER?
Call (864) 586-1671 or email Sarah Newman at sarah@haltersc.com about services. General questions go to office@haltersc.com. Volunteers age 14 and up can write to volunteer@haltersc.com, and youth ages 10 to 13 can get involved through the Pony Pals program.
Location
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302
Questions to Ask When You Call
The center is the best source for these answers.
- Are you running now, and taking new riders?Start here. We couldn’t confirm a current schedule.
- Which ages and needs do you work with?Ask about experience with your rider’s specific condition.
- Is a licensed PT, OT or speech therapist involved?Therapist-led hippotherapy is usually the only kind insurance may cover.
- What does a session cost, and are there scholarships?Many nonprofit programs offer sliding scales or sponsored spots.
- Do you have a mounting ramp or lift?Important for riders who use a wheelchair or need help mounting.