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A New Direction
We want to take this opportunity to share with you our excitement about a new direction for the organization formerly known as Equest Therapeutic Riding Center. Equest has been serving the community since 1998, impacting the lives of hundreds of children and adults with disabilities in Southern Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire. Wanting the work of the program to thrive and be sustained well into the future, we have made some changes that will allow us to enrich the lives of our students, families and our community for years to come. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce the launch of Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports and the Equest Foundation. At the core of these changes is a decision to separate the philanthropic side of the organization from the operations side of the business. Two entities have emerged, each with a distinct function and mission.

Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports is a comprehensive organization offering their hallmark equestrian hippotherapy and adaptive programs; new offerings of Para-equestrian sport; and traditional equestrian training opportunities for educators, practitioners and riders alike. The mission for Carlisle Academy is to transform lives through horses. A range of distinctive, high quality programs – rehabilitative through recreational – provided within an inclusive environment fosters learning, growth and overall well-being.

The Equest Foundation will carry on the philanthropic legacy of the Equest Therapeutic Riding Center. As an independently governed 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation exists to raise scholarships for students with special needs who participate at Carlisle Academy. Additional focus areas of the Foundation will include research activities related to equine-assisted therapy and medical advocacy that creates greater access to insurance reimbursement.

Why the name change and what is its significance?
Carlisle Academy is named after Carlisle Brook that runs through the farm property. The program provides an important connection to the natural world for many who visit us, and this new name honors that vital link. Calling the center an “academy” puts equine education at the heart of all we do. Being “integrative” has meaning on many levels. We believe that working with horses has an integrating effect on us in mind, body and spirit. Further, offering integrated equine therapy and sport programs also creates an inclusive learning environment where we learn from one another, knowing that we are stronger together, as a whole. Lastly, our new name, no longer shared with others, allows us to expand into new areas, including training and leadership programs.

Thank you for being a part of the life-changing work that we are privileged to do each day, in partnership with the horse.

To learn more about the background of the program and Carlisle Academy’s philosophy and values,
click here.

Carlisle Academy from Michael Boucher on Vimeo.