Now in its 26th year, Free Rein Center for Therapeutic Riding and Education is the only facility in Transylvania County offering equine-assisted therapeutic programming. Accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), Free Rein serves children and adults with cognitive, behavioral, developmental, and emotional special needs — with a primary focus on local school students. In 2025, the Center served 253 clients, with progress documented by instructors, teachers, physicians, and parents alike. No student is ever turned away due to financial need, and 95% of current students are served through a sliding-scale scholarship program.
Free Rein’s programming continues to grow. A new collaboration with Rise and Shine brings a certified, nationally recognized equine-assisted reading program — Horse Powered Reading — to students working to strengthen decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. The Center has also recently completed construction of a dedicated student and educational materials center, creating a proper home for lesson resources that were previously stored in the barn’s hayloft.
Lake Toxaway Charities is proud to support Free Rein Center through funding that will help furnish and equip the new educational space — providing shelving, work surfaces, a whiteboard, and other essentials — while also strengthening the scholarship fund that ensures Transylvania County students can access these uniquely effective therapeutic services regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
