Mission

Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Therapeutic Riding Center improves the quality of life for individuals with physical emotional and developmental needs by providing evidence-based therapeutic riding, equine assisted activities and advancing effective practices through professional education and research.

What We Do

Dream Catchers provides life-changing equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) to a large and diverse community of children and adults with special needs on the Virginia Peninsula from Richmond to Norfolk, the Middle Peninsula, and the Northern Neck. Dream Catchers serves an average of 80 to 100 participants each week; all services are provided by credentialed providers. EAAT services provided by Dream Catchers include: Therapeutic Riding, Therapeutic Horsemanship, Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) with a licensed mental health provider, and Speech Therapy with a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. Participants range in age from 4 years to seniors in their 90's with more than 150 distinct diagnoses recorded. The organization is accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) as a Premier Accredited Center.

Dream Catchers is a 501(c)(3) corporation which relies upon 250 - 300 active volunteers who receive rigorous training and who provide 19,200 volunteer hours annually. More than 800 participants were served during the last fiscal year. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, has an Advisory Board, and is staffed by 5 full-time/28 part-time employees (mostly barn crew and instructors), along with a herd of 12 horses and 2 miniature horses. Dream Catchers has a highly engaged and influential Board of Directors. Dream Catchers fundraising comprises between 72% and 75% of its gross annual operating revenue. Dream Catchers continually improves the methodology and evaluation of its services to develop the most positive, cost effective, efficient services and organizational structure possible. Dream Catchers provides therapeutic interventions to help develop healthier, more productive citizens creating a positive impact for our community today and in the future.

From the organizational level to the level of each individual lesson, service is evaluated against pre-determined goals and objectives. Dream Catchers' team of certified professionals create lesson plans that focus on measurable objectives and include engaging activities to assist the participants in meeting their short term, long term, and life goals. The website www.dreamcatchers.org provides many compelling testimonials and videos which also validate the value of services provided.