Equest is a not-for-profit therapeutic riding center committed to providing services to all riders regardless of the rider’s ability to pay for our services. We strive to offer high quality service at a fair cost. We do fundraising to offset our costs and provide student scholarships. Student scholarships are by application. Students are expected to exhaust all other options before applying for a scholarship. Here are some options.

1. Use your flexible spending account. With a written prescription from your doctor, hippotherapy or therapeutic horseback riding may be considered an out-of-pocket medical expense. If you have and use a flexible medical spending account, you will enjoy the benefits of saving’s account using pre-taxed dollars. We will provide you with documentation that includes the date(s) of service and payment made.

2. Housing vouchers or rental subsidies. Again, a doctor’s prescription along with our cost estimate may lower your rent as therapeutic horseback riding and hippotherapy are an “out-of-pocket disability-related expense”. We are happy to provide your housing authority with documentation that includes our fees and medical reasons for the service.

3. Service organizations such as the local Lions Club and Knights of Columbus or disability organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association may be willing to help you fund hippotherapy or therapeutic horseback riding.

4. Maine Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Grants for up to $250 per year may be given for therapeutic horseback riding or hippotherapy. You can download an application for this program by going to the Maine Chapter’s website or can receive one by calling 1-800-FIGHTMS.

5. If you can establish that hippotherapy can help your child’s education in PET process your school district may be a funding source.

6. Veteran’s Administration, Worker’s Compensation or Vocational Rehab. If you are a veteran with a service-connected disability, the VA may be an option for you. If you have a work related injury and can have either hippotherapy or therapeutic horseback riding prescribed by your physician, worker’s compensation may consider funding it. Lastly, if you are a vocational rehab client and therapeutic horseback riding or hippotherapy enhances skills needed for employment (i.e. motor vehicle operation), consider writing your therapeutic horseback riding/hippotherapy needs into your Individualized Work Related Plan (IWRP).

7. Woodfords Family Service: The Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services provides limited funds ($250) for recreational experiences for children with developmental and emotional disabilities. For children 0-6 the child’s diagnosis must be one of the following: Developmental Delay, Mental Retardation, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder or documentation of an emotional behavioral disability. For children ages 6-18 years of age the diagnosis must by one or more of the following: Mental Retardation, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder or documentation of an emotional or behavioral disorder. The child must reside with a parent or legal guardian. Call 878-9663 or 1-800-439-0314 or email: infor@woodfords.org.

8. Proulx Family Foundation, Inc. This foundation seeks to enable you and your family, who would otherwise not have the financial resources to do so, take advantage of life enhancing opportunities. Grants, for up to $5000 per year (on April 30th), are made to individuals for therapeutic programs and services. Eligibility guidelines: under 21 years of age, written statement or report of a developmental disability by a licensed medical or therapeutic provider, must reside in New England. Contact: Proulx Family Foundation at 1-603-664-2365 or ProulxFoundation@aol.com

9. Child Development Services: Children between 0-5 may qualify for hippotherapy funding through CDS. A listing of county by county CDS offices can be viewed at www.mainecite.org. The York County office is at 39 Limerick Road, Arundel 985-7861. CDS funding must be approved by an Early Childhood Team.