Mane Stream
Oldwick, New Jersey
Mane Stream is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Oldwick, New Jersey, serving children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges. It offers adaptive riding, licensed physical, occupational and speech-language therapy, equine-assisted counseling, a toddler program and a summer day camp. Its website says it is a Premier Accredited Center of PATH Intl. and a member facility of the American Hippotherapy Association.
- Adaptive riding (private and semi-private lessons)
- Physical, occupational and speech-language therapy
- Hippotherapy
- Equine-assisted counseling
- Equine-assisted DBT skills groups
- Horses for Healing
- Paddock Pals toddler program
- Summer day camp
- Children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges
- Riders age 4 and up
- Children as young as 2 (therapy)
- Toddlers ages 3 to 5 with a caregiver
- People living with cancer
- People living with Parkinson's disease
- Individuals, families and groups (counseling)
More about this center
About the Program
Adaptive riding lessons are taught by PATH Intl. Certified Instructors. Lessons last 30 minutes, are grouped by age and ability, and pair each rider with one to three trained volunteers. A mounting ramp and a Sure-Hands lift help wheelchair users, and a parent or guardian stays during lessons.
Therapy sessions are one-on-one with New Jersey licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists, who may use hippotherapy along with approaches such as PROMPT and DIR/Floortime. Therapy usually runs once a week for 45 minutes, about 46 to 48 weeks a year. Counseling sessions are ground-based, with no riding, and are led by a licensed mental health professional and an equine specialist.
Horses for Healing is a five-week program of grooming, leading and riding for people living with cancer or Parkinson's disease. Paddock Pals is a one-hour, five-week class for children ages 3 to 5 and a caregiver, limited to four children.
Getting Started
Mane Stream says it has no waiting list. For riding, families submit a participant form and a physician form, schedule a free screening, then sign up for a lesson. Therapy clients also have a free screening, followed by an evaluation before services begin.
The website lists private riding lessons at $70 and semi-private lessons at $60. Therapy is $40 to $160 per session depending on length. Mane Stream is private pay and does not bill insurance, though it provides paperwork for reimbursement. Horses for Healing is free with a $25 admin fee, and Paddock Pals is $175 per five-week session.
History
Octavia Brown started the program in 1972 on her farm in Bedminster as the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders Club, with three horses and six riders. A 1994 foundation grant funded the purchase of a 12-acre farm in Oldwick, where a new facility was completed in 2001. Physical and speech-language therapy were added in 1995, and the organization took the name Mane Stream in 2012.
Location
Mane Stream is at 83 Old Turnpike Rd., Oldwick, NJ 08858, about 2 miles off Route 78. Call 908-439-9636 or email info@manestreamnj.org.
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.
Is there a waiting list?
Mane Stream says it has no waiting list for riding or therapy and enrolls on a rolling basis. Start by submitting the participant and physician forms and scheduling a free screening.
How old does my child need to be?
Adaptive riders must be at least 4. Therapy can begin as young as age 2, and Paddock Pals is for ages 3 to 5.
Does insurance cover sessions?
Mane Stream is private pay and does not bill insurance. It provides documentation so therapy clients can seek out-of-network reimbursement.
Who do I contact with questions?
Call 908-439-9636 or email info@manestreamnj.org. Program questions can go to Jen Dermody, Director of Program Services.
Location
Oldwick, New Jersey 08858
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.