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Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center is one of the country’s largest therapeutic riding centers and a nationally recognized leader in equine-assisted therapies. Their mission is to improve their clients' bodies, minds and spirits through equine-assisted therapy and to be an inspiration and educational resource to the therapeutic riding profession, both regionally and nationally.

Little Bit provides equine-assisted activities and therapies for children and adults with disabilities. This facility is the only full-time, year-round program serving the Puget Sound region. Each week, 235 riders with disabilities, ages 2½ - 65, saddle up at Little Bit. On horseback, these individuals begin to see physical improvements such as stronger muscles, better balance and coordination; improvement in social and communication skills, and overall health improvement.

Therapeutic riding programs for people with disabilities were first established in Western Europe in the early 1950's and in North America in the late 1960's. Doctors, therapists and researchers were so impressed with the physical results of this therapy that many hospitals in Western Europe now have adjoining facilities for the utilization of horses in therapy- known as hippotherapy.  The extraordinary growth of the number of therapeutic riding programs in the United States alone (currently more than 800 programs) gives evidence of the value and demand for such programs.

Little Bit was founded in 1976 by a woman named Margaret Dunlap.  Margaret teamed up with riding instructor Debra Powell Adams at the Woodinville Riding Club. Realizing that riding had inhibited the progress of Margaret's multiple sclerosis, she and Debra decided to start a therapeutic horseback riding program. Margaret began presenting their idea to numerous community groups. Initially known as Little Bit Special Riders, the program has grown from five students, one instructor and one horse operating in a rented stable, to one of the largest full-time therapeutic horseback riding programs in the United States.  Nearly 250 riders a week from throughout the Puget Sound area receive Hippotherapy or Therapeutic Horseback riding instruction through Little Bit's six-days-a-week program with 20 horses and the help of over 400 volunteers

Little Bit is also a nationally-recognized leader in equine-assisted therapies and the most extensive therapeutic riding facility in the Pacific Northwest.  It is one of only four Washington programs to receive Premiere accreditation status from NARHA (the North American Riding for Handicapped Association).

Little Bit's 4-1/2 acre facility includes 19 program horses, a 20-stall barn with tack room, 11 paddocks, covered indoor arena, outdoor arena, physical therapy rooms, administrative offices, and a training room. The adjacency to the Tolt Pipeline offers riders trail ride opportunities and a rural atmosphere.

The facility offers a full range of equine-assisted therapies and activities. Their flagship programs are Adaptive Riding and Hippotherapy. Adaptive Riding involves a highly individualized lesson plan of learning to ride a horse under the direction of NARHA certified instructors. Hippotherapy involves a physical or occupational therapist utilizing the movements of the horse as a therapy tool for the rider in an intensive one-on-one medical model. The movement and stride of the horse are graded in order to provide the right stimulation level for the human nervous system to be able to learn new strategies and skills. This pattern of movement cannot be duplicated in traditional clinical settings, and the results offer an improved potential for walking and normal hip development in individuals with disabilities.

One of the hallmarks of their program is the 400 dedicated volunteers. Because each rider may require up to three volunteers and up to five riders may ride at any one time, more than 350 volunteers are needed in the arena each week (25% of whom are teenagers).

Their horses come from various origins. Some arrive at Little Bit through donors, others are leased to Little Bit, and some are purchased specifically for the program. It takes a special horse to do this work. Because of this each horse is put through a thorough evaluation process before being accepted into the program.

To meet demand for equine-assisted programs and address their waiting list of individuals with disabilities, Little Bit purchased the 17-acre facility in Redmond in 2008.  Although they currently serve 235 riders weekly, there are 200 people with disabilities on their waiting list with wait times of up to 2 years. Because of this they are working to double the size of their program. Once renovation and new construction are completed, Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center at Dunmire Stables will allow them to double their horse herd from 19 to 40, increase their ridership from 235 to 525, and significantly reduce both their waiting list and wait times. Phase One of construction at Dunmire Stables is complete. They plan to move 12 of their Adaptive Riding classes (36 riders) to Dunmire Stables this September. Phase Two of construction will take place in 2012 with construction scheduled to be completed in 2013. Dunmire Stables will allow Little Bit to serve up to 500 riders weekly by 2015.

Little Bit is a non-profit organization.  They receive no government funding and rely on individual and corporate donations, fund raising events, grants, and minimal tuition to meet its operating budget.  Little Bit has grown into one of the largest nationally accredited centers and has become an industry leader. Supporting Little Bit in its expansion efforts encourages them to move further forward, bringing them that much closer to their goal of maintaining high quality services to children and adults with disabilities.