Ride Like a Knight is the therapeutic horsemanship center of St. Andrews University. Located on campus in Laurinburg, North Carolina, we were the first Therapeutic Horsemanship center established as part of a degree program in the USA. Since 1998 we have served Scotland, Robeson, Richmond, and Marlboro counties in North and South Carolina by providing free and low-cost therapeutic horsemanship lessons to people with disabilities and special needs.
Everyone’s SAFETY is our first priority! Lessons are taught by St. Andrews students in the Therapeutic Horsemanship degree program and supervised by PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. Our horses are selected for their kindness and patience and come from showing or working backgrounds to be trained to work with riders of all abilities.
If you or a loved one has a disability or special need, contact us to register for Therapeutic Horsemanship lessons! We offer mounted lessons to people under 200lbs who can sit up unsupported, and unmounted lessons to everyone! Private and semi-private lessons cost $20 per lesson, or $140 per semester. To secure a spot in our lesson schedule, please contact Melissa Abbey, Director of Ride Like a Knight, before filling out the registration paperwork and paying for lessons. [email protected]
It costs St. Andrews $70.00 per hour for us to provide these specialized lessons, yet we only charge participants $20.00 per lesson. If you’re interested in keeping our services low-cost and helping provide Therapeutic Horsemanship in our community, your donations are welcome.
We are also seeking sponsors for the Ride Like a Knight Horses to provide them with basic care and comfort. Your donation of $545/month (Roughly $6,500 per year) helps us maintain horses of the appropriate size and training to work with a wide variety of participants. We will add your name to this page, a sign on the horse’s stall, and every mention of your sponsored horse on social media will include your name as his sponsor. If you would like to sponsor a horse, contact Melissa Abbey at [email protected] .
Melissa Abbey
Is an assistant professor of Therapeutic Horsemanship and director of Ride Like a Knight. Trained in Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, she is a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She is also a Certified Equine Interaction Professional in Education and has served as a member of the Mental Health and Learning subcommittee of PATH International.
Manly
A miniature horse and the main ambassador of Ride Like a Knight. Although he is not ridden, his work consists of teaching fearful people how to groom and lead a horse. He likes being read to and knows how to play piano.
Manly is sponsored by:
Reagan
Named for the former president, Reagan was a member of the St. Andrews’ Hunt Seat team before joining RLAK. He is mostly retired these days, but still gives slow walks to small children and helps build their confidence.
Reagan is sponsored by:
Sox
This is Sox. He is a Morgan Horse and the newest addition to our herd. He was born in 2009 and is very smart and sweet. He has pulled a cart before but hasn’t been a therapeutic riding horse before.
Sox is sponsored by:
Ziggy
A quarter horse gelding who carried many riders on the SAU western team to victory over the years. Seeing that he was aging and needed a gentler job, he was moved to RLAK in 2022 and has continued helping his riders overcome their challenges.
Ziggy is sponsored by:
Ali Baba
Retiring from the SAU dressage team in 2021, Ali Baba has been a pillar of the Therapeutic Horsemanship program ever since. Now that he is retired, he is much more comfortable moving slower than during the glory days. We appreciate his willingness to follow his rider’s directions and give his all in every lesson.
Ali Baba is sponsored by:
Cowboy
This is Cowboy. He is retired from the Western team. Cowboy is a “paint” horse even though he doesn’t have splotches of color. Cowboy was born in 2008, and he is energetic curious and playful
Cowboy is sponsored by:
Beckett
This is Beckett. He’s retired from the SAU hunt seat team and was a beloved mount. He has brought his sweetness and kindness to his work at Ride Like a Knight and even though he is so tall, he is cuddly and would curl up in your lap if he could.
Beckett is sponsored by:
Bentley
This is Bentley. He is a miniature gelding with plenty of character. He used to work as a therapy mini, traveling to nursing homes and preschools to bring smiles and love to everyone. Bentley retired from traveling in 2023 and has a lifetime retirement home at Ride Like a Knight
Bentley is sponsored by:
WE ARE ALWAYS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS! Contact Melissa Abbey at [email protected] to get involved or fill out the form below. No horse experience needed. We have office and barn, athletic and inactive tasks that need volunteers! Get your steps in, make a difference in someone’s life, and support a worthy organization with your time and talent today.
1700 Dogwood Mile | Laurinburg, NC 28352 | (910) 277-5555
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