SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center
Aberdeen, South Dakota
SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Aberdeen, South Dakota, founded in 1992. It offers therapeutic riding, hippotherapy and horse care activities for children and adults with special needs in Brown County and the surrounding area. The center says more than 200 people take part each year.
- Therapeutic horseback riding
- Hippotherapy with licensed pediatric physical therapists and specially trained instructors
- Horse care and grooming activities
- Sessions for special needs school groups
- Sessions for adult therapy providers and other groups
- Children with special needs
- Adults with special needs
- People with cerebral palsy, developmental delays or learning disabilities
- People with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries
- People with multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy
- People with visual impairment
- People with mental health or behavioral challenges
- Special needs school groups
More about this center
About the Program
SPURS stands for Special People Using Riding Skills. Its mission is to provide opportunities for growth through horse-related activities for individuals with special needs. Riders are guided by horse handlers and side walkers, and they also learn to feed, groom and prepare the horses.
Hippotherapy at SPURS is provided by licensed pediatric physical therapists and specially trained instructors. Participants are referred by physicians, therapists, counselors, teachers and friends, and the center says all ages are welcome.
The Horses and Staff
SPURS gets its horses through donation, loan or purchase and says each one is screened for health, soundness, disposition and quality of gaits. The horses page lists Quarter Horses, a Welsh, a Haflinger, a part Morgan, a Norwegian Fjord and an Arabian.
Becky Fischbach is the director. The staff page lists Kaitlyn Toennies as a PATH Intl. Certified Instructor, along with three more instructors, an equine manager and program, volunteer and fundraising staff.
History
A group of community members started SPURS in 1992 and incorporated it as a nonprofit. Founding members included horse owners Pat and Jim Bishop and Vi Stoia, and the first sessions were held on the Bishop farm with a few horses, a handful of riders and about a dozen volunteers. Pat Bishop became a certified instructor. In 1997 the program moved to its current 40-acre site, which has an 80 by 200 foot indoor arena with an attached barn for eight horses and observation room, an 80 by 120 foot outdoor arena, a volunteer center and open pastures.
Volunteering
Volunteers groom and saddle horses, lead them, walk beside riders, and help with special events and fundraisers. SPURS trains volunteers for horse and rider tasks and says it can work with nearly any schedule. To sign up, call (605) 226-1099 or complete the volunteer form on the website.
Location
SPURS is at 1006 130th Street in Aberdeen, South Dakota, about one mile north of Holgate Middle School. It serves Brown County and the surrounding area.
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 do I sign up to ride at SPURS?
Download and complete the rider form on the SPURS website, then contact the center at (605) 226-1099 or spurs@nrctv.com.
Is there an age limit?
No. The center says all ages are welcome, and it serves both children and adults with special needs.
How much do lessons cost?
Call (605) 226-1099 or email spurs@nrctv.com to ask about current rates and schedules. Our guide to equine therapy costs explains what affects pricing.
Can schools or groups take part?
Yes. SPURS works with special needs school groups, adult therapy providers and other groups as well as individual riders.
Location
Aberdeen, South Dakota 57401
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.