Location: Enid, Oklahoma, United States
Bennie’s Barn is a nonprofit equine therapy and riding facility in Enid, Oklahoma, named in honor of Bennie Mullins, a beloved community figure known for her generosity and her commitment to caring for anyone who needed help.
Founded in 2014 by Executive Director Chip Baker and other Enid community advocates, the organization was created to carry on Mullins’ legacy by extending that same spirit of compassion to vulnerable populations through the healing power of horses. The barn serves children, adults, and veterans across northwestern Oklahoma and draws participants from as far as Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas.
About This Program
Bennie’s Barn operates on the understanding that horses can reach people in ways that more conventional therapies sometimes cannot. The program serves individuals with a wide range of physical, cognitive, emotional, and developmental challenges, building individualized therapy plans around each person’s goals from the start. Every rider is supported by a certified therapeutic riding instructor working alongside trained volunteers who help implement a lesson plan designed specifically for that student.
The work at Bennie’s Barn goes beyond riding. Participants are encouraged to take part in the care of the horses, including feeding and grooming, which builds responsibility, attentiveness, and a sense of routine that many riders carry into their daily lives. Learning to communicate with and direct a horse also develops focus, reasoning, and confidence in ways that translate well beyond the arena.
The barn also runs a horse rescue and rehabilitation program, taking in horses that have experienced neglect or displacement. Staff and volunteers work patiently with those horses to rebuild their trust in people before the animals enter the therapy program. That parallel process of recovery — horse and rider each finding their footing — is central to the philosophy at Bennie’s Barn.
Named programs at the barn include Horses for Heroes, which serves veterans and wounded service members dealing with PTSD, combat stress, and trauma from military service; the Sensory Trail, an outdoor experience that guides participants through more than 12 multi-sensory stations in a natural setting; and the Step-Up Academy, a progression pathway designed to help riders advance their skills. The barn also partners with Vance Air Force Base and the Multiple Sclerosis Society to bring additional adult participants into its programs.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic riding
- Hippotherapy and backriding/tandem hippotherapy
- Equine facilitated psychotherapy
- Equine facilitated experiential learning
- Horses for Heroes (veterans and first responders program)
- Sensory Trail program
- Step-Up Academy
- Grooming and tacking
- Groundwork
- Recreational riding
- Summer and day camps
- Special Olympics and Paralympic competition support
- Vocational training
- Mobile community programs
- Horse rescue and rehabilitation
Who They Serve
Bennie’s Barn may be a good fit for:
- Children with disabilities or developmental delays
- Adults with physical or cognitive disabilities
- Veterans and active duty military with PTSD or combat-related trauma
- First responders dealing with occupational trauma
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with Down syndrome
- Individuals with ADD or other hyperactivity disorders
- Individuals with speech or communication challenges
- Individuals with emotional or behavioral conditions
- Individuals with multiple sclerosis
- Individuals with neuromotor or sensory dysfunction
- Individuals with head trauma or brain injury
- At-risk youth
- Special Olympics participants
Facility and Setting
Bennie’s Barn is located at 4914 East Rupe Avenue in Enid, Oklahoma, situated just outside the city in a rural setting that includes an indoor riding arena, outdoor trail space, and the Sensory Trail. The facility operates as a fully volunteer-supported program and serves as a community gathering point for families, veterans, and organizations throughout the region.
- Enid, Oklahoma location (Garfield County)
- 4914 East Rupe Avenue, Enid, OK 73701
- Indoor arena and outdoor sensory trail
- PATH certified instructors on staff
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Fully volunteer-supported program
- Partnership with Vance Air Force Base and the Multiple Sclerosis Society
What Makes Them Unique
Bennie’s Barn carries a story that sets it apart from most therapeutic riding programs. It was built not from a grant or an institutional mandate, but from grief and love — the desire of a community to keep the spirit of one generous woman alive by extending her care to those who needed it most. That origin shapes everything about how the barn operates, from its emphasis on welcoming anyone regardless of background to its commitment to serving some of the most underserved populations in northwestern Oklahoma.
The combination of horse rescue and therapeutic riding gives Bennie’s Barn a depth of purpose that resonates with riders and volunteers alike. The horses themselves have often come from difficult circumstances, and that shared experience creates an unexpected bond between animal and participant. The Sensory Trail is also a relatively rare offering in the therapeutic riding world, providing a structured outdoor therapeutic experience that extends well beyond the riding arena. For families in rural Oklahoma who have limited access to specialized services, Bennie’s Barn fills a gap that few other organizations in the region can match.