Location: Walla Walla, Washington, United States
Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding is a nonprofit equine-assisted services organization in Walla Walla, Washington, serving the Walla Walla Valley and extending across the state line into Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Co-founded by Executive Director Mary Murphy, the program offers adaptive riding, equine-assisted mental health services, a literacy program, and summer camp, all rooted in the belief that horses can reach people in ways that traditional therapies sometimes cannot. The organization maintains a small, carefully selected herd and relies heavily on a large volunteer community to deliver its programs.
About This Program
Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding runs its adaptive horsemanship program in six-week sessions three times per year — spring, summer, and fall — with lessons held Monday through Thursday evenings. Sessions are designed to accommodate riders across a wide range of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs, with horse leaders and sidewalkers providing support during each lesson. Participants develop balance, strength, coordination, and confidence through regular mounted work, and the relationships they build with individual horses often become a meaningful part of their therapeutic journey.
The Healing with Horses program is Blue Mountain’s mental health initiative, developed in partnership with a licensed mental health provider and staffed by a Certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. The program is entirely ground-based, using grooming, obstacle activities, and horse handling to help clients develop emotional regulation, leadership skills, and self-awareness. Staff have noted that participants — particularly children who struggle with emotional regulation — often find it easier to read and respond to the horses’ behavior than to recognize their own, and that mirroring process becomes a powerful vehicle for growth.
The literacy program, called Reading with Buttons and Coco, pairs young readers with miniature horses, using the calm, non-judgmental presence of the animals to reduce the anxiety that often makes reading practice difficult for struggling readers. The all-abilities inclusive summer horsemanship camp extends the program’s reach to a broader population, welcoming children with and without disabilities together in an equestrian setting.
Services Offered
- Adaptive and therapeutic horsemanship (six-week sessions, spring, summer, and fall)
- Healing with Horses (equine-assisted mental health program)
- Literacy program — Reading with Buttons and Coco
- All-Abilities Inclusive Summer Horsemanship Camp
- Equine-assisted psychotherapy (in partnership with a licensed mental health provider)
- Volunteer training and program support
Who They Serve
Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with physical disabilities
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD
- Individuals with neurodiversities
- Individuals with emotional or behavioral challenges
- Children recovering from trauma
- Individuals with cognitive delays or developmental disabilities
- Children who struggle with reading or literacy
- Individuals with mental health challenges seeking non-clinical therapeutic settings
- Riders of all ability levels, including those without disabilities (summer camp)
- Residents of Walla Walla County and surrounding areas in Washington and Oregon
Facility and Setting
Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding is located at 1150 Valley Street in Walla Walla, Washington, at the end of a residential road with a rural equestrian setting. The program operates on a seasonal calendar aligned with the Walla Walla Valley’s climate, with evening sessions running across three six-week blocks each year. The herd includes Tennessee Walkers, miniature horses, and other breeds selected for their temperament and therapeutic suitability, and participants are encouraged to request specific horses when scheduling sessions.
- Walla Walla, Washington location
- 1150 Valley Street, Walla Walla, WA
- Serving Walla Walla, WA and Milton-Freewater, OR and surrounding areas
- Seasonal six-week session format (spring, summer, fall)
- Evening programming, Monday through Thursday
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Volunteer-supported program model
What Makes Them Unique
Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding is one of the few programs in the Pacific Northwest that combines adaptive riding, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and a dedicated literacy program under one roof. The Healing with Horses mental health initiative, which brought a licensed mental health provider and a certified equine specialist together to serve children with emotional regulation challenges and trauma histories, represents a relatively rare integration of clinical mental health services into a therapeutic riding setting.
The literacy program is also genuinely unusual. By pairing struggling readers with miniature horses like Buttons and Coco, the program removes the performance pressure that often makes reading instruction counterproductive for anxious young learners. The horses provide a low-stakes, accepting audience that helps children practice without fear of judgment — a simple but effective insight that reflects the organization’s creativity in thinking about what horses can do beyond the riding arena.