Good Hope Equestrian Training Center

Good Hope Equestrian Training Center was established in 1999 with a primary goal of enhancing the quality of life of children, youth and adults with varying mental and physical disabilities. Using the equine as its tool and its 20-acre facility as a classroom, Good Hope is committed to annually expanding program services to meet the educational, recreational and rehabilitative needs of South Florida’s disabled and most underserved residents.

At Good Hope we believe that equine assisted activities can make a profound impact on individuals with varying conditions and disabilities physical and emotional well-being. Over the course of the past sixteen years, we have observed a great deal of our participants make significant progress toward their personal goals, because of the therapeutic nature of the horse's presence and movement.

Founded in 1999, Good Hope Equestrian Training Center (GHETC) provides special needs populations with recreational, educational, rehabilitative and employability training programs that offer opportunities to increase their independence and quality of life. Over the years, GHETC has served approximately 2,000 individuals with varying intellectual, physical and psychological disabilities; at-risk youth; and medically fragile children who, because of an accident, illness, congenital disorder, abuse or neglect, are dependent on life sustaining medications, treatments or equipment and have need for assistance with activities of daily living. Using the equine environment as its tool and its 20-acre grounds as its classroom, GHETC serves 400 children, youth and adults annually.

GHETC operates on the principle that everyone deserves the opportunity for meaningful educational, recreational and rehabilitative opportunities that are centered on their interests. As such, the organization provides a broad array of onsite and community-based initiatives, including: Equine Assisted Activities serving children, youth and adults; Life Skills Development I-III; Personal Supports; PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship formerly known as NARHA) workshops and certifications designed to ensure that equine specialists stay up-to-date on industry best practices; and Horses Helping Heroes, a program serving American troops who have returned home from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, spinal cord injury, as well as severe wounds, including amputations. Programming is designed to strengthen bodies while healing minds through the therapeutic effects of the equine.

Through the development and expansion of programing that promotes self-efficacy and independence, GHETC has a 16-year documented success rate in assisting participants in reaching their personal outcomes through specialized programs. As Miami-Dade County’s only equine program accredited by PATH, GHETC is known for its exemplary reputation and outcome-driven initiatives.