Location: Columbia, Missouri, United States
Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center is a nonprofit equine-assisted therapy organization established in 1988 by a group of equine professionals to provide therapy for persons in mid-Missouri with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
Founded and led for many years by Executive Director Karen Grindler, the center has been PATH accredited for more than 30 years and serves more than 150 individuals per year across three seasonal sessions.
Cedar Creek operates entirely on community generosity — it receives no United Way, state, or federal funding — and is supported by hundreds of volunteers each season alongside PATH-certified instructors.
About This Program
Cedar Creek’s approach is grounded in the well-documented therapeutic properties of equine movement. At the walk, a horse’s gait transfers three-dimensional pelvic movement to the rider that closely mirrors normal human walking — improving balance, coordination, strength, and muscle tone while gently mobilizing the joints.
For riders with physical disabilities, this rhythmic input provides physical rehabilitation in a form that traditional clinical settings cannot replicate. For riders with cognitive and emotional challenges, the program focuses on communication skills, behavior, social skills, and the self-esteem that comes from managing a large animal and developing an independent skill.
The program runs in three structured sessions — Spring (eight weeks), Summer (six weeks), and Fall (eight weeks) — with all lessons tailored to each rider’s individual therapeutic needs. New riders must complete an evaluation before their first session to determine appropriate program fit and safety planning. All sessions are led by PATH-certified instructors supported by trained volunteers serving as horse leaders and sidewalkers.
Cedar Creek uses four distinct emphases in its therapeutic riding approach. Motion therapy uses the horse as a direct therapeutic modality, placing riders in various positions on horseback to enhance stability, balance, and coordination. Cognitive work is addressed through horsemanship skills and stable management instruction. Social and emotional development is supported through human-to-animal bonding and peer interaction within the group session structure. And riders are encouraged to participate in horse shows and community events as their skills develop, building confidence and community integration.
The center accepts funding through Boone County Family Resources and offers a scholarship program for riders who cannot afford the full session fee. Scholarships require a letter of request and carry a co-pay to maintain participant investment.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic horseback riding (Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions)
- Motion therapy
- Horsemanship and stable management instruction
- Horse shows and community events
- Scholarship program
- Volunteer program (hundreds of volunteers per season)
Who They Serve
Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities
- Individuals with traumatic brain injury
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis
- Individuals with spinal cord conditions
- Individuals with balance, coordination, or muscle tone challenges
- Individuals with communication or cognitive challenges
- Families in Columbia and mid-Missouri
Facility and Setting
Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center is located at 4895 East Highway 163 in Columbia, Missouri, just south of the city. The facility is situated between Meek’s Hardware and Strawberry Hill Farm along Highway 163, in a rural setting that provides a calm and pastoral environment for riders and families. The center does not receive government funding and relies entirely on donations, session fees, and fundraising to sustain operations.
- Columbia, Missouri location (Boone County, mid-Missouri)
- 4895 East Highway 163, Columbia, MO 65201
- PATH accredited for over 30 years
- PATH-certified instructors
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- No government or United Way funding — fully community-supported
What Makes Them Unique
Cedar Creek’s 37-year history is one of its most distinctive features. Founded in 1988, it is among the longer-running therapeutic riding programs in Missouri, and its PATH accreditation spanning more than three decades reflects a sustained commitment to program quality that far predates the modern expansion of the field.
The community-supported funding model — refusing government and United Way support in favor of complete reliance on charitable giving and volunteers — reflects a specific organizational philosophy that gives the center a particular kind of accountability to the community it serves.
The sheer scale of volunteer involvement is also noteworthy. Hundreds of community members volunteer at Cedar Creek each season, making the program one of the most visibly community-embedded therapeutic riding centers in mid-Missouri.
For families in the Columbia area seeking a stable, long-established, PATH-accredited program with deep community roots, Cedar Creek has been a trusted presence for nearly four decades.