CANTERsvaz

CANTERsvaz CANTER promotes the health and independence of individuals with disabilities/special needs using equine assisted activities.

We’re volunteer led, donor sponsored and accredited by PATH International, the standards setter for therapeutic riding centers. CANTER is accredited by PATH International, the national organization that sets the standards for therapeutic riding centers throughout the country. CANTER is one of only four Premier Accredited riding centers in the state of Arizona. This accreditation results from on-site inspections by PATH International in which our programs, instructors, horses, facilities, volunteers, and documentation are reviewed.

Don’t forget that those filing taxes in AZ may qualify for a tax credit if you make donations to a Qualifying Charitable...
03/04/2026

Don’t forget that those filing taxes in AZ may qualify for a tax credit if you make donations to a Qualifying Charitable Organization. And yes, CANTER is a QCO under AZ state law. 😊 And you can even wait until you see how much your tax liability is and write a check accordingly! Ask your tax preparer for more details.

03/03/2026
Meet Hawk. This handsome guy is on lease from one of our volunteers, Gerri. We’re hoping for great things from him! He’s...
03/03/2026

Meet Hawk. This handsome guy is on lease from one of our volunteers, Gerri. We’re hoping for great things from him! He’s a wonderful horse!

Jackie was too, but sadly didn’t fit our program. We’re grateful to Peggie for letting us do a trial with her and wish she had worked out.

As you will read in our next newsletter, being a therapy horse is a tough job and not everyone has the temperament needed for our program. Safety is our first priority, but we also want to always consider a horses’ well-being. Our nonprofit trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole, just doesn’t work, especially when that square peg is a 1000 lb horse who costs a lot to feed and maintain! It’s much better for us and the horse to find a generous owner who thinks their equine needs and can do this job, then do a trial lease to evaluate whether or not they are truly a program candidate. If not, we return them to their family.

Not sure why this didn’t post last month, but for those who haven’t read the last edition of the newsletter, here you go...
03/02/2026

Not sure why this didn’t post last month, but for those who haven’t read the last edition of the newsletter, here you go! The next one will be out soon! Spoiler alert, Jackie sadly did not work out but we’ve been fortunate enough to get a new gelding on a trial lease.

02/22/2026

ATTENTION…. Help wanted!

CANTER is looking for volunteers to feed horses 🐴 and/or muck 💩🪏stalls! Great workout 💪 and opportunity to help our horses! Multiple days and times available. 🗓️
Please contact our Barn Manager, Andi for details, if interested. No experience required… as training will be provided! 🐴💩🪏 (704) 773-0202.

Sometimes the horses just hang out with a friend. They’ve done a lot of that this week due to the winds. Thanks Andi Tay...
02/19/2026

Sometimes the horses just hang out with a friend. They’ve done a lot of that this week due to the winds. Thanks Andi Taylor for capturing Dos Amigos last week.

02/15/2026

ISO a unicorn 🦄 aka that rare, special horse, for our equine assisted therapy program here at CANTER. We are looking for a feed lease option that is able to accommodate our young adult special needs students, up to a max of 200lbs.

If you have an older (preferably 12+ years), broke (walk/trot), mount, able to carry our HS students, who needs a job, consider feed leasing your unicorn to our program!

If you would like additional information, please contact the barn manager, Andi at (704) 773-0202.

01/28/2026

Please click below to see the wonderful video provided to us as part of our grant award from the Legacy Foundation!
Thank you Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona. And a special thanks too goes to Sheila Foraker at Earth and Sky Productions for capturing and telling our story so beautifully!

earthandskyproductions.live

So very excited to be awarded $25,000 in grant funding from the Legacy Foundation. The Executive Board attended the awar...
01/28/2026

So very excited to be awarded $25,000 in grant funding from the Legacy Foundation. The Executive Board attended the award ceremony this afternoon where we were honored to be among so many other amazing organizations whose incredible projects were also selected to receive awards. The Foundation’s investment in the organizations seeking to improve the lives of the residents of Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties is amazing.

These funds mean we now have a start date of May on the books for our indoor arena! Stay tuned for updates!

Classes resumed at CANTER today! The horses were excited to welcome everyone back!
01/21/2026

Classes resumed at CANTER today! The horses were excited to welcome everyone back!

01/19/2026

A horse is never just an image.
It is a memory carved into the path we once walked together.

It is the quiet of the forest that listened when the world grew too loud.
The rhythm of hooves that matched the beat of a restless heart.
A sunset where freedom and peace finally learned how to coexist.

In its silhouette lives the wind, the road behind us, and the dream that kept pulling us forward.
In the mirror of still water, past and future pause—just long enough to breathe together.

A human and a horse.
Two souls aligned.
Moving in the same direction, even when everything else falls silent.

This is not about riding.
It’s about belonging.

About a connection that needs no words.
About inner freedom that cannot be taken, only felt.
About a journey that doesn’t begin on a trail…
but deep within the heart. 🖤




Address

7388 E Chief Joseph Drive
Sierra Vista, AZ
85650

Opening Hours

Thursday 8am - 12pm
Saturday 8am - 11:45pm

Telephone

+15203783196

Website

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Our Story

CANTER was founded in 1993 to provide Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) to individuals with disabilities in the Cochise County area. When our program began, horses were brought to a temporary riding facility hosted by a volunteer. In 1998, 17 acres of bare land were donated to CANTER by a stroke patient who was one of our clients. Over the next four years, land was cleared, fenced, and a riding arena was established. Stables were erected for the horses; an office, tack room and classroom were added. In 2002, a manufactured home was placed on the property allowing a full time facility manager/caretaker to reside at the facility and care for the horses and grounds. Today, the facility is home to nine specially trained CANTER therapeutic riding horses.

CANTER is accredited by PATH International, the national organization that sets the standards for therapeutic riding centers throughout the country. CANTER is one of only four Premier Accredited riding centers in the state of Arizona. This accreditation results from on-site inspections by PATH International in which our programs, instructors, horses, facilities, volunteers, and documentation are reviewed.

CANTER (Cochise Area Network of Therapeutic Equestrian Resources) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that offers therapeutic riding. CANTER's vision is to serve all eligible individuals in Cochise County, using multiple instructors with diverse skills and training methods to safely and effectively meet the specific needs and requirements of its students.