Location: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship is a nonprofit equine-assisted services organization founded in 1980 and incorporated in 1983, located on 14.25 acres in the Pinnacle Peak area of North Scottsdale. It is a PATH International Premier Accredited Center and one of the most distinctive therapeutic riding programs in Arizona — the only curriculum-based therapeutic horsemanship program in the state that provides private instruction at no cost to participants.
Camelot was founded by Eileen Szychowski, a horsewoman with a degenerative neuromuscular disease who brought the program to Arizona with $100, two mares, and a vision shaped by years of study under Josef Rivers, a polio survivor and the founder of Dragon Slayers in California.
About This Program
Camelot operates from a philosophy that is as much a worldview as a program model. The center’s tagline — Where Heroes Are Born — reflects its core belief that every person faces personal dragons, and that every person is a potential dragon-slayer. Camelot sees itself not as a place where disabled riders receive services, but as a place where people with disabilities are seen for what they can do rather than what they cannot, and where lofty goals are set and met with the unwavering support of instructors and volunteers.
The program serves children and adults with physical disabilities aged seven and up, specializing specifically in that population rather than taking a broad diagnostic approach. Students must have a desire to learn, a love of horses, and a physical disability to be eligible.
Approximately 24 students at a time receive private, weekly instruction for the duration of the lesson season, with PATH-certified instructors writing detailed lesson plans tailored to each student’s specific needs and goals. Periodic evaluations and bi-annual reviews ensure that progress is closely monitored throughout the season.
The curriculum at Camelot goes well beyond riding. In addition to adaptive horseback riding and carriage driving, students learn safety, horse breeds, colors, conformation, the history of horses, basic veterinary care, and stable management — a comprehensive horsemanship education that gives students genuine knowledge and competence, not just a pleasant experience on horseback.
Camelot’s facility is purpose-built for its students. The barrier-free, fully wheelchair-accessible design allows students to saddle or hitch, ride or drive, and groom the horses with minimal assistance — an expression of the program’s emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency.
Services Offered
- Adaptive horseback riding (private, one-on-one instruction)
- Carriage driving
- Comprehensive horsemanship curriculum (safety, breeds, conformation, veterinary care, stable management)
- Grooming and horse care instruction
- Bi-annual student evaluations and progress reviews
- Hooves & Heroes annual open house and fundraiser
- Chain of Hearts fundraising campaign
Who They Serve
Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with physical disabilities, ages 7 and up
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis
- Individuals with visual impairment
- Individuals with paralysis
- Individuals with hearing impairment
- Individuals with traumatic brain injury
- Individuals with developmental disabilities
- Students who want a rigorous, curriculum-based horsemanship education alongside their therapeutic riding
Facility and Setting
Camelot is located in the Pinnacle Peak area of North Scottsdale, Arizona, on 14.25 acres of the Sonoran Desert. The property is owned outright by the organization — the result of decades of careful financial planning — meaning every dollar donated goes directly to program services, horse care, and adaptive equipment rather than to a mortgage. The facility is fully wheelchair accessible and barrier-free throughout.
- North Scottsdale, Arizona location (Pinnacle Peak area)
- 14.25 acres of the Sonoran Desert
- Fully barrier-free, wheelchair-accessible facility
- PATH International Premier Accredited Center
- Property owned outright — no mortgage
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
What Makes Them Unique
Camelot stands apart from virtually every other therapeutic riding program in Arizona on two counts: it provides all services at absolutely no cost to participants, and it is the only curriculum-based therapeutic horsemanship program in the state. The no-cost model has been in place since 1980 and is made possible by a disciplined “pay as you go” financial philosophy combined with community generosity — Camelot has never paid a penny in interest and owns its facility outright.
The curriculum-based approach also sets Camelot apart in ways that matter enormously to its students. A student who completes multiple seasons at Camelot does not just ride horses — they understand horses, care for them, and develop a real body of equestrian knowledge.
That depth of learning, combined with the program’s absolute conviction that each student is capable of more than the world typically expects, creates an environment where genuine transformation is not just hoped for but systematically pursued.