Free Rein Center for Therapeutic Riding & Education
Brevard, North Carolina
Free Rein Center is a nonprofit therapeutic riding program in Brevard, North Carolina, based at the riding center of Rockbrook Camp for Girls. It offers therapeutic riding and community outreach programs for children, youth and adults with a wide range of challenges, such as autism, cerebral palsy and ADHD, in Transylvania, Henderson and Buncombe Counties.
- Therapeutic horseback riding
- Grooming, haltering and leading horses
- Sensory Trail
- Say Whoa to Bullying (at-risk youth)
- Silver Saddles (seniors)
- Riding lessons for grieving families
- Riding sessions for post-traumatic stress
- Children (from age 3), youth and adults
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cerebral palsy
- ADD/ADHD
- Down syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and stroke
- Traumatic brain injury and visual or hearing impairments
- Seniors, at-risk youth and grieving families
More about this center
About the Program
Lessons last one hour, with about 30 to 40 minutes of riding, and riders come once a week for each week of a session. The center runs spring and fall sessions of six and four weeks. Along with riding, participants groom, feed, halter and lead the horses.
Free Rein is a PATH Intl. Member Center and says it follows PATH Intl. standards. Its instructors are PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. The riding program has a 200 lb weight limit, and weight limits also apply to the outreach programs.
The Horses and Staff
The center does not own its horses. It leases program horses from Rockbrook Camp and other local summer camps for eight to nine months a year, and each horse goes through screening and training before joining the program. The team page lists three PATH Intl. certified instructors, one of whom also serves as program administrator and volunteer coordinator.
History
Free Rein was founded in the fall of 2000 on See Off Mountain, just south of Brevard, and held its first class in the spring of 2001. In 2011 it moved into a partnership with Rockbrook Camp for Girls. Since then it has added programs for local schools and for Transylvania Vocational Services, which employs many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Volunteering
Volunteers must be 14 or older to help in lessons, or 9 or older to help in the barn with a parent present. The center also accepts high school and college students for internships, senior projects and class projects, and offers community service hours.
Location
Free Rein holds lessons at the Rockbrook Camp riding center, 3460 Greenville Highway, Brevard, NC 28712, for about nine months of the year, and uses other locations during the summer. Mail goes to PO Box 1325, Brevard, NC 28712. Visitors can tour while classes are in session by calling ahead.
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 does a new rider get started?
New riders complete an intake assessment and submit medical information, then fill out a rider packet and are scheduled for the next session. Call 828-883-3375 to begin.
What does a lesson cost?
As listed, lessons are $50 per one-hour lesson; the center says each lesson costs it about $150 to provide. Scholarships are available, and families who need help with the cost can apply.
Are there age or weight limits?
Free Rein works with children as young as 3 and has no upper age limit. The riding program has a 200 lb weight limit.
Can I visit before enrolling?
Yes. Tours are offered during the months the program is running; call 828-883-3375 or email freereincenter@gmail.com to schedule one.
Location
Brevard, North Carolina 28712
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.