Location: Butte, Montana, United States
Butte Special Riders (BSR) is a nonprofit volunteer-driven therapeutic riding program based at the Kissock Horse Center in Butte, Montana. Founded in 1988 by the Kissock family, the program grew directly from an experience that founder Joani Kissock’s daughter Britt had volunteering with children with special needs through the horse branch of her 4-H club. What began as a family-led community initiative has grown into a structured hippotherapy and equine interaction program serving children and youth with diverse disabilities across the Butte region for nearly four decades.
About This Program
The Butte Special Riders program is built entirely on volunteers, with three volunteers pairing with a single student during each session to ensure close, individualized guidance. That high volunteer-to-rider ratio is central to how the program operates — it allows instructors and volunteers to respond in real time to each child’s physical and emotional needs, and creates a level of personal attention that is difficult to achieve in larger or more institutionalized programs.
BSR uses hippotherapy — equine interactions that aid physical, cognitive, and emotional development — to support children with conditions including Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other learning disabilities. Sessions run in two blocks during the summer months, with an additional adult program offered on Tuesday evenings. The program holds approximately 50 students at a time, and many children spend the week looking forward to their session day.
The horses used in the program are carefully selected for their temperament and suitability for working with children with special needs. The current herd includes Dutch, Ladybug, Stewie, Jett, Timmy, Bella, Bits, and Quinny. The program meets standards set by the North American Riding Association for the Handicapped (NARAH) and operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with United Way.
Services Offered
- Hippotherapy and equine-assisted interactions for children and youth
- Adult therapeutic riding (Tuesday evenings, summer)
- Volunteer-supported individual sessions (3:1 volunteer-to-rider ratio)
- Summer session programming (June through August)
Who They Serve
Butte Special Riders may be a good fit for:
- Children and youth with special needs
- Individuals with Down syndrome
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with learning disabilities
- Individuals with emotional or physical disabilities
- Adults with disabilities (summer evening program)
- Families in Butte and the surrounding Silver Bow County region
Facility and Setting
Butte Special Riders is hosted at the Kissock Horse Center at 1179 Beacon Road in Butte, Montana. The indoor riding arena allows sessions to take place regardless of Montana’s variable summer weather. The Kissock family has hosted the program at their facility since its founding, and the center remains the heart of the BSR operation.
- Butte, Montana location (Silver Bow County)
- Kissock Horse Center, 1179 Beacon Road, Butte, MT 59701
- Indoor riding arena
- NARAH (North American Riding Association for the Handicapped) affiliated
- United Way affiliated
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization
- Entirely volunteer-led program
What Makes Them Unique
Butte Special Riders is one of Montana’s longest-running therapeutic riding programs, operating continuously since 1988. Its origin story — rooted in a teenager’s 4-H experience and her family’s decision to turn that inspiration into a community program — gives BSR an authenticity and local rootedness that is rare even among volunteer-driven therapeutic riding organizations.
The program’s operating model, with three dedicated volunteers per rider and a completely volunteer-led structure, means that every child who participates receives an unusually high level of personal attention and human connection.
For families in Butte and Silver Bow County seeking a program with deep community ties, genuine warmth, and nearly 40 years of experience serving children with special needs, Butte Special Riders is a meaningful and proven resource.