Horses Helping People with Disabilities in China

 Greeting HOPE supporters,

 Happy Year of the Fire Horse. Below is a recap of HOPE’s last year - a busy one!

 HOPE Program Highlights:

• 105 individuals participated for a total 1,532 total service hours.
• 28 attendees for adaptive riding and groundwork sessions each week (excluding summer camps).
• Pro bono Equine Assisted Services (EAS) were offered to organizations who serve folks with special needs. (Plus, a yummy volunteer-cooked lunch was included!) 13 events were held for 31 participants, for a total of 242 hours.
• Summer Camp had 27 participants from across the country, totaling 432 hours.
• 12 “Inclusion Activity Weekends” with 28 participants, totaling 176 hours.
• A pediatric physical therapist works at HOPE two half-days/week, providing consultation and treatment in the classroom.

Volunteer Highlights:

• 345 volunteers contributed 6,172 volunteer hours!
• A group established the HOPE Horse Art & Handicraft Workshop, leading older kids to create handicrafts. Their products were sold at charity events with the proceeds split between HOPE and the children’s families.
• Another group organized concerts and social gatherings for children to showcase their talents and provide enrichment. 

EAS Education:

• The Hong Kong Jockey Club held the first Horses in Equine-Assisted Services Forum in Beijing, bringing together people from across the country who were interested in EAS. The HOPE teampresented on theoretical foundations and practical experience of equine-assisted services
• Program Director Lucia Zhou and a participant spoke to local leaders and volunteer groups at the Shunyi District Social Work Department.

Honors:

• HOPE was awarded “Capital’s Best Volunteer Service Project” by the Beijing Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department.
• Founder Priscilla Lightsey received a Letter of Commendation from the Gaoliying Town Government, Shunyi District.

HOPE team in Beijing:

• Full-time: Lucia Zhou, Chenxi Ma, Wanqi Guo, Sishun Fu.
• Part-time: Shuanghong Li, Yanbo Zhao, Xiaoshu Yuan, Lu Zhang, Wenyue Li, Hejin Li.
• Equine Partners: Mu’er, Tank, HeiShan, An’an, Dabao.

In closing, dear HOPE supporters, a heart-felt thank you for helping us grow, teach others about EAS, and provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to improve their quality of life. We also want to say thank you Dong Fang Ma Hui Equestrian Club for allowing us to work out of their lovely stables.

Gratefully yours,

Priscilla, Amy & the HOPE team

*Individuals named have provided consent to be in this report.

After a busy summer of camp and lessons, we prepared for the changing seasons while working to ensure consistency for participants, families and volunteers. In September, HOPE provided 145 service hours between regular weekly sessions (72 hours), stable courses (3 hours), physical therapy sessions (18 hours), public welfare open days (34 hours), and weekend inclusion activities (18 hours). HOPE also welcomed 14 new volunteers during this time.

Regular Weekly Update: In September, we welcomed back a rider who had surgery. Her recovery has been excellent—and she’s grown taller too. With her additional height, we paired her with Mu’er, a larger horse who might fit her new height better. To our delight, she and Mu’er turned out to be a perfect match. Throughout her sessions, we focused on helping her rebuild her gross motor skills while she enjoyed learning about and riding her new horse.

Stable Course: We introduced stable management lessons for our older students in September. They learned tasks such as cleaning grooming tools, caring for horses, and tidying the stables. Through these activities, they not only gained valuable knowledge about horse care but also made some new friends.

Physical Therapy Sessions: Thanks to the generous support of the Shanghai Ruiyuan Charity foundation, we were able to invite physical therapists every Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning to provide therapy sessions for our participants. They love these sessions and really look forward to them every week. We are thankful for the support of the foundation to be able to provide these services.

Public Open Day: Children from Warm Farm Courtyard once again joined us at HOPE for stable work. They were able to recognize various horses as well as grooming tools and their purpose in the stable. Some of them have even become team leaders guiding others through the tasks. It is great to see such growth and progress with the attendees.

Weekend Activities: For Septembers monthly inclusive activity we collaborated with RC Remote Car Club, where everyone was able to experience the fun of remote-control racing. The club also prepared snacks and juice for the participants. At the end we discovered that these cars come in different types: low profile ones that zoom across tracks, and off road ones that can actually cross over terrain. The children had an amazing time!

Horse News: After returning from Inner Mongolia, Heishan is feeling great— he shows no soreness in his legs or back and he appears restored with full energy. An’an’s digestive issues have also improved, though we’re still exploring more effective ways to ease her stomach discomfort. Tank remains his cheerful, foodie self, while Mu’er developed a small bump on her hindquarters that seemed painful at first but has now completely healed thanks to Coach Zhao’s care.

Thank you so much for your support of HOPE. We look forward to sharing additional updates throughout 2026.

Links:

• HOPE Website