Location: Cartersville, Georgia, United States
Beyond Limits Therapeutic Riding, Inc. is a nonprofit therapeutic riding program located at Watkins Farm in Cartersville, Georgia, about 45 minutes north of Atlanta. The organization began with two riders, one horse, and a family’s determination to find a therapy that felt less like therapy — and has grown into a PATH International member center serving dozens of riders each week across Bartow County and surrounding communities.
About This Program
Beyond Limits was founded by a family who had a child with special needs and were searching for something different. After their daughter fell in love with horses, they purchased one and connected with PATH-certified instructor Kristen Moreland, who helped them build what became a full therapeutic riding program. The program started at Greenridge Stables in Emerson before outgrowing that facility and relocating to Watkins Farm in Cartersville, an 80-acre property owned by their farrier that offered an entire barn, multiple arenas, miles of trails, and ample pasture.
Therapeutic riding sessions are one hour in length and led by PATH-certified instructors. Lessons are priced at $70 per session — subsidized below the actual cost of $91.51 per lesson — with the difference covered through charitable donations. Scholarship and financial aid programs are available for qualifying families, and the organization currently has a waiting list of riders seeking financial assistance. Beyond Limits serves approximately 46 riders per week and has the capacity to provide over 1,500 lessons per year.
The program also offers summer camps for both special needs riders and their siblings, recognizing that brothers and sisters often need a meaningful space of their own alongside their family’s therapeutic commitments. Horse shows are hosted on-site at Watkins Farm, giving riders an opportunity to compete in a familiar and supportive environment. The Special Olympics program provides additional competitive opportunities for riders who are ready to represent the organization at a higher level.
Scout Badge opportunities are also available, connecting the program to a broader community of young people and offering a structured pathway for scouts to earn equestrian-related recognition through their involvement with the horses.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic horseback riding
- Hippotherapy
- Summer camps (special needs and sibling camps)
- Special Olympics equestrian program
- On-site horse shows
- Riding Badge opportunities (Scout Badge program)
- Competitive riding opportunities
- Scholarship and financial aid for qualifying families
- Volunteer program
Who They Serve
Beyond Limits Therapeutic Riding may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with disabilities
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with Down syndrome
- Individuals with ADD or other hyperactivity disorders
- Individuals with developmental delays
- Individuals with physical disabilities
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis
- Individuals with emotional or behavioral challenges
- Siblings of riders with special needs
- Special Olympics participants
- Scouts seeking riding badge opportunities
Facility and Setting
Beyond Limits operates at Watkins Farm, an 80-acre property in Cartersville, Georgia, two miles off I-75. The facility includes two outdoor arenas, a fully enclosed indoor arena, miles of riding trails, and expansive pasture for both horses and riders. The on-site setup allows the program to host its own horse shows and provides a natural, spacious environment well suited to therapeutic work. The program maintains a herd of nine therapy horses.
- Cartersville, Georgia location (Bartow County)
- Riding facility: Watkins Farm, 281 Cass-White Road, Cartersville, GA 30121
- Business office: P.O. Box 82, Emerson, Georgia 30137
- 80-acre farm with indoor and outdoor arenas and trails
- Nine-horse therapy herd
- PATH International member center
- 45 minutes north of Atlanta
What Makes Them Unique
Beyond Limits has an origin story that sets it apart from most therapeutic riding organizations. It was not founded by therapists or equestrian professionals seeking to expand their practice — it was founded by parents who needed something better for their child. That grassroots beginning shapes the program’s culture, which emphasizes warmth, family inclusion, and meeting riders where they are rather than fitting them into a clinical framework.
The decision to subsidize lesson costs below the actual per-session expense — and to maintain a scholarship fund for families who still cannot afford even the reduced rate — reflects a genuine commitment to access. The sibling camp program is another expression of that family-centered philosophy, acknowledging that the whole household is affected when a child has special needs.
For families in the north Atlanta corridor looking for a program that combines clinical credibility with genuine heart, Beyond Limits is a compelling option.