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Our Mission is to promote and enhance the physical and emotional growth of people of all ages and unique abilities through the use of therapeutic, outdoor experiences including interactions with horses and other domesticated animals.
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The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and freedom.
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- Sharon Ralls Lemon -
Courageous Connections Equine Therapy
Proudly serving Snohomish County, Washington!
These different programs offer participants, of all ages and abilities, a safe and unique opportunity to partner with horses while working from the ground. Check out each of our programs below!
What we hear from our volunteers:
'This is a life-changing experience'
We need your help!
In addition to arena help, we also need help with a variety of other activities such as Newsletters, Social Media, Marketing, Fundraising, and Event Planning. Please contact us to see how you can get involved.
We couldn't exist without our Donors. Your donations provide scholarships to participants in need and help us care for our beautiful horses. Every dollar helps!
Thank you to our Community Donors!
Message from President –
Your Best is ALWAYS enough
I hopped on my horses the other day for a long, overdue ride. While I work with my horses here and there sometimes I just opt to throw a bareback pad on and ride bareback. It feels easier and sometimes I need easy. Riding in a saddle requires the rider and horse to use different muscles and in this case muscles that neither one of us have used in a while!
As I rode I asked my horse to move in a variety of ways I know she 'can' do and yet she wasn't doing what I asked. For an instant I found myself frustrated, thinking "you can do this so why aren't you" and thankfully in the next instant the thought came "she's doing her best, back off and ease into what you are asking". If I'm being honest with myself, I wasn't riding at my full potential, like I can and do when I'm more practiced. Although I was giving it the best, I had I me in that moment, I know I wasn't fully supporting her with my body position, pressure, reins, and other cues.
How does this relate to our day-to-day interactions? How often do we jump to impatience or frustration when people in our lives don't perform as we believe they can or should? It’s important to remind ourselves that everyone is doing their best in that moment, even if it doesn’t meet our expectations. Perhaps that was their 'best' for that day, or maybe they need our support and encouragement to reach the next level of 'best'. By offering patience and understanding, we can build more supportive relationships that helps everyone grow.
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With Gratitude & Grace,
​Kathy Sanders