Location: Monterey, California, United States
Christine Marie’s STAR Riders is a nonprofit equine-assisted services program based in Monterey, California. The organization offers therapeutic and recreational horseback riding for children, adults, and military veterans with special needs, with programming supported largely through volunteers and community donations.
The program’s riding activities are held at the Marina Equestrian Center in Marina, which gives it a broader reach across Monterey County rather than serving only one neighborhood or barn community. It also identifies itself as a PATH operating center, reflecting a therapeutic riding focus within a structured horsemanship setting.
About This Program
Christine Marie’s STAR Riders centers its work on helping riders with special needs build confidence, independence, and connection through horse-based experiences. Its mission emphasizes therapeutic riding alongside recreational and social opportunities, suggesting a program designed not only for physical participation, but also for inclusion, enjoyment, and community involvement.
The organization also appears to have a strong family and volunteer component. Public descriptions note that it is an all-volunteer program, with instructors and community members helping support horse care, facility work, outreach, and day-to-day operations. That gives the program a community-driven feel that likely shapes the rider experience as much as the mounted lessons themselves.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic riding
- Recreational riding
- Equine-assisted learning
- Grooming and tacking
- Ground work
- Veterans programming
- Volunteer-supported horse activities
Who They Serve
Christine Marie’s STAR Riders may be a good fit for:
- Children with special needs
- Adults with special needs
- Military veterans with special needs
- Riders seeking therapeutic horseback riding
- Families looking for equine-assisted services in Monterey County
Facility and Setting
The program’s business office is listed in Monterey, while riding takes place at the Marina Equestrian Center in Marina, California. That setup suggests an administrative base in Monterey paired with a separate riding site that supports the mounted portion of the program.
This arrangement gives the program a practical community footprint across the Monterey area. Rather than operating strictly from a single-address barn, Christine Marie’s STAR Riders appears to combine office functions, outreach, and riding instruction across connected locations.
What Makes Them Unique
One of the things that stands out about Christine Marie’s STAR Riders is its broad participant mix. In addition to serving children and adults with special needs, the program also includes military veterans, which gives it a wider reach than many small therapeutic riding centers.
Its volunteer-driven structure is another defining feature. Public descriptions consistently present the organization as a community-supported program powered by donated time and effort, which gives it a distinctly grassroots identity within Monterey County’s equine-assisted services landscape.