This Winter with Ride On St. Louis

Even though it's cold out, we're busier than ever these past winter months! Ride On St. Louis has been focused on planning, care, and preparation for the year ahead, while continuing to support our horses, participants, and community. Check out our winter operations below:

Expanding Access Through Online Learning

This winter, our team prepared an online equine learning experience for our partners with disabilities at Pony Bird. Through a member area on our website, participants can now access a guided equine experience without braving the elements, which can present added challenges for many individuals we serve. The first course focuses on feeding a horse, helping participants learn what horses eat, how they eat, and how their teeth, skull, and lips work together. The experience includes an interactive video, games, and worksheets designed to reinforce learning and engagement, so when the weather warms up and participants return in March, we can pick up without missing a beat!

Preparing for 2026 Equine-Assisted Services

Planning is well underway for our upcoming programs. We’re in progress for developing collaborations that will be announced later in the spring, while also continuing established offerings such as:

• Helping Hands (beginning March 10)

• Outreach (next session scheduled for February 26)

• Always Home, our ongoing program that supports retired Ride On St. Louis horses, and currently cares for Style who retired from service in 2020.

Land and Facilities

Winter is an important time for property stewardship! This season, we completed soil testing across the pasture to support long-term land health. Several experienced farm managers and professionals shared their expertise, some pro bono (thank you Ron R.!), helping us identify nutrients needed to replenish the soil and support the healthy grass growth that is so essential for the well-being of our horses. Alongside this work, we’ve kept up with barn improvements and the added demands that snow and winter weather bring. A huge thank you to Rick Wassman, Ride On St. Louis cofounder and current volunteer as Land and Facilities Coordinator. You can read more about Rick's background and skills on our staff page here.

Administrative Updates

We are transitioning to a new bookkeeping service to better support our organization as we grow. During this transition, donation receipts may look slightly different, and going forward, receipts will be mailed quarterly. We appreciate everyone’s patience as this change is implemented. Tax documents and gifting receipts will be in the mail this coming week.

Ongoing Horse Care

Horse care continues twice daily, year-round, regardless of the season, weather, or holidays! Our routine includes pasture maintenance (like picking up manure, seeding, etc.), stall cleaning, waterer care, grooming, hoof trimming, ground handling, and behavioral reinforcement to ensure our horses remain comfortable and engaged in their roles within our programs. Upcoming we have our herd's annual dental float scheduled, and our Always Home retiree Style will celebrate his 30th “foaling day” (birthday) this year.

Looking Ahead: Volunteer Opportunities

We’re looking forward to welcoming volunteer groups back for a workday on Wednesday, April 29th. More details will be shared, but we expect to do some spring cleaning, as well as tackle some heavier jobs and skilled labor tasks. If you'd like to be notified for this event, please complete (or update) a volunteer application here.

Thank you to our donors, volunteers, partners, and families for supporting Ride On St. Louis throughout the winter months. Your involvement makes it possible for us to care for our horses, strengthen our programs, and prepare for what’s ahead.