Birch Grove Therapeutic Riding Center
Eagle River, Alaska
Birch Grove Therapeutic Riding Center (Birch Grove TRC) is an equine-assisted services program in Eagle River, Alaska, for people with disabilities. Participants groom, lead, lunge and ride the horses, and lessons are built around each rider's needs. The center offers adaptive therapeutic riding and hippotherapy.
- Adaptive therapeutic riding
- Hippotherapy with licensed therapists
- Mounted and unmounted sessions
- Grooming, leading and lunging
- Initial assessment for new participants
- People with disabilities
More about this center
About the Program
Birch Grove TRC says its goal is to improve the quality of life for its participants. Each new participant starts with an initial assessment, which points them toward either adaptive therapeutic riding or hippotherapy.
Lessons work on strength, coordination, balance, stamina, confidence and social interaction. Instructors use props such as bean bags, hula hoops, cones and ground poles to build activities into the ride. Sessions can be mounted or unmounted, so time spent grooming and handling a horse is part of the program as well as time in the saddle.
Hippotherapy sessions are run in partnership with licensed therapists, who use the horse's movement as part of treatment.
The center has also added veterans groups and a summer horse camp to its offerings.
The Horses
The herd has included Captain, a large gentle horse; Nina, a Fjord mare and the center's lead therapy horse; Seamus; and Skolli. Families can ask which horses are working with riders now.
Volunteering
Volunteers lead horses, walk beside riders as side walkers, hand out props, open gates and help with barn cleanup. To volunteer, email cdrury@birchgrovetrc.com or call 802-318-7059.
Location
Birch Grove TRC is based in Eagle River, Alaska, in the Municipality of Anchorage. Its mailing address is PO Box 771675, Eagle River, AK 99577. Contact the center for directions to the barn before a first visit.
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.
How do I get started at Birch Grove TRC?
Email cdrury@birchgrovetrc.com or call 802-318-7059. New participants begin with an initial assessment that decides whether adaptive riding or hippotherapy is the better fit.
Does Birch Grove TRC offer hippotherapy?
Yes. Hippotherapy sessions are offered in partnership with licensed therapists.
How much do lessons cost?
Contact the center by email or phone to ask about current rates. Our guide to equine therapy costs explains typical pricing and funding options.
Location
Eagle River, Alaska 99577
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.