Wellness Through Our Love of Horses

Join us to support the Equestrian Center fund

The UC Davis Equestrian Center has been a welcoming space for students, staff, and community members since the 1960s, offering transformative opportunities to connect with horses and nature. Our lesson horses are the heart of our program, inspiring joy, fostering belonging, and promoting mental well-being. These incredible animals make it possible for us to offer riding lessons, educational workshops, and wellness programs and specialized classes for underrepresented groups all in a safe and inclusive environment.

In October 2023, we launched the Wellness Through Our Love of Horses program through a crowdfunding campaign. We were able to stretch every dollar we received by collaborating with Campus Recreation’s Well-Being Fee Waiver, campus partners, and program supporters to provide low to no cost specialized classes and priority registration for students and staff in transformative programs such as:

• Guardian Scholars Program, supporting students with lived experiences in foster care or out-of-home placement.
• Redwood SEED Scholars Program, empowering students with intellectual disabilities.
• Veterans at UC Davis, supporting the success and well-being of those who have served.
• Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), uplifting first-generation, low-income students.
• First-Year Seminars, small dynamic classes fostering interactive learning.
• Staff Assembly, enriching well-being for UC Davis employees.
• Nature Rx, harnessing outdoor environments for healing and comfort.

Additionally, to match this increase in participation, we shifted how we utilize our open space by promoting and highlighting all the ways you can enjoy the Equestrian Center for free. We also invested in facility upgrades like a new hydration station, ice machine and more picnic table spaces to make our space more welcoming and comfortable. We are also working to expand the Rider’s Resource Room to provide more high-quality gear such as boots, helmets and other riding clothing to continue to eliminate financial and social barriers to participation and ensure all participants feel included and safe.

Your support, whether it be through a monetary donation to our fund, contributing gently used riding gear in good condition, or sharing our crowdfund project with your friends and community, will help us continue this momentum to expand wellness programming, offer more specialized classes for underrepresented groups, and enhance resources for participants. We are committed to expanding resources for participants and creating transformative experiences that foster connection, mental health, and community.

Your gift, no matter the size, directly supports our participants and the growth of this meaningful program in creating a sense of belonging and wellness through our love of horses.