Pony Power Therapies

Mission: To enhance the physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and adults through various programs, including therapeutic horseback riding, horse-assisted learning, and nature-based activities.

Pony Power connects people with disabilities or life challenges to the wonders of horses, farming and nature. Located on a fully accessible 13-acre farm in Mahwah, New Jersey, Pony Power is Bergen County’s only facility that provides equine- (specifically horse-) assisted activities for people who need extra support.

Time spent with horses and in nature can benefit everyone. Our participant community is broad and includes people with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as those experiencing learning differences, mental health diagnoses, trauma, loss, and life-limiting or life-threatening diseases. Through partnerships with local organizations, we also serve people facing food, housing or financial insecurity.

Pony Power is home to 22 seasoned therapy horses and ponies. Most of our horses have been donated or rescued, and each has been screened to ensure quality of movement and temperament—essential for safely learning riding skills and more. Participants are paired with the horse or pony best suited to their needs and goals.

Pony Power is also home to pigs, goats, sheep, chickens and honey bees.

Pony Power’s programs are centered around the remarkable benefits of time spent with horses and in nature. Some of the many benefits our participants experience include improved strength, balance, posture, flexibility, verbal and nonverbal communication, attention, motor planning, direction following and problem solving. Equally important for our participants are feelings of community, connection and joy—antidotes to isolation, loneliness, anxiety and depression.

Pony Power welcomes approximately 200 participants to the farm each week, ranging in age from 1 to 96. We work with both individuals and groups, including schools, adult day programs, hospitals, community organizations, seniors in assisted living or specialized programs, and veterans.