Build Bulgaria's Dedicated Horse Therapy Centre

This spring, we are proud to announce the official launch of "The Horse Beside You" — a free, nature-based support program designed specifically for parents of children with special needs. What began as a long-held vision has become a reality: twice-monthly sessions held outdoors at our 4RANCH farm in the Sredna Gora region, where small groups of up to 8 parents work with horses from the ground, guided through breathing, relaxation, and presence exercises. No riding, no prior experience — just space to breathe, reconnect, and restore. Research consistently shows that supporting parents directly improves outcomes for their children, and this program is our commitment to the whole family. Registration is now open at pqfbulgaria.org/horsebesideyou.

Behind the scenes, these past four months have been full of preparation — training horses, developing the program structure, and working with our two facilitators to ensure every session is thoughtful and impactful. Running the free programs takes significant ongoing resources: horse care, insurance, equipment, and dedicated staff. None of this would be possible without your generosity. If this work moves you, we invite you to make a gift today and help us keep both programs free for every family that needs them. Every dollar brings us one step closer to a full season of sessions — for the children, and now for the parents who carry so much for them.

Links:

• Visit our website
• The program ''The Horse Beside You''

Thank you for being our supporter!

We sent off 2025 with a great loss of one of our youngest mares that suddenly passed away. Bred, born and raised at our farm, she was a magnificent and gentle horse with one blue and one brown eye, a bit shy but eager to learn. She had to be trained to become a therapy horse one day and we deeply regret losing her.

On the bright side, 2026 will mark a new chapter for our organization. We plan to expand our work and help children with special needs and their parents! This is a new and challenging venture for us but we know that with so many wonderful people around the world to help us we can do it together.

The Equine-Assisted Program for Parents will hopefully begin in the spring of this year. As our program for the children with special needs this will also be completely free for the beneficiaries. Setting up a program for the parents has been our long-term goal and is finally becoming a reality. We have seen the burden the parents of children with special needs carry. Here are the 7 most common among them:

1. Emotional stress and burnout – Constant advocacy, worry about the child’s future, and day-to-day care can be exhausting.
2. Financial strain – Therapy, medical care, adaptive equipment, and reduced work hours can add up quickly.
3. Navigating complex systems – Dealing with healthcare, education (IEPs), insurance, and government services is often overwhelming.
4. Limited time and energy – Appointments, therapies, and extra caregiving can leave little time for rest, work, or other family members.
5. Social isolation – Parents may feel misunderstood, judged, or excluded from typical social activities.
6. Marital problems – Most of the parents are either having marital problems or are single parents.
7. Uncertainty about the future – Concerns about long-term independence, care, and quality of life are a constant source of anxiety.

The well-being of the parents is what ultimately helps the most the children with special needs. For that reason, this program is simply a natural extension of our efforts aid through equine-assisted activities.

Join us again this year in making even bigger impact!

Links:

• Visit our website