Building an inclusive community of welcoming, supportive, and empowered equestrians.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CAMPS!
Breaking down barriers and building up confident, skilled equestrians.
Solid Strides is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive space by actively inviting under-resourced, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+ and other historically underrepresented populations into our program and by reducing financial barriers to entry. We believe that the benefits of a life with horses should be accessible to everyone with a passion to participate. Please contact us for information on how we can help create a pathway for you or your child.
OUR RIDING PROGRAMS
We offer a variety of programs so your child can find just what they need!
SPRING & FALL
DAY CAMPS
SUMMER
WEEK CAMPS
MONDAY – FRIDAY
LESSONS
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our goal is to create a safe environment for riders to develop the essential skills of good riding and good horsemanship to create a positive experience for both students and their equine partners. We believe deeply in learning broadly about the horses and about ourselves. To that end, we take the time to teach riders to groom, tack, lead, do groundwork, and observe the horses and their behavior and movement, in addition to teaching riding skills. We find that riders who have broad holistic skills create excellent relationships with horses and are better able to meet their goals and the needs of their horses.
Creating space for embracing passion.
The equestrian industry has historically been one of the least ethnically diverse sports in America. The BIPOC community has been grossly underrepresented and uncelebrated. We believe that we actively need to create space for the BIPOC community, help breakdown the barrier to entry into our sport and help shine a light on the rich and diverse history people of color have played in equestrian sport. One of our greatest driving forces is to create a space that is welcoming and safe so that BIPOC youth can explore, embrace and grow a budding equestrian passion. We believe every kid should have the chance to be a crazy horse kid.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Thank you Solid Strides for making it possible for Lizzie to connect with horses in a balanced, positive way that is well-rounded. She had so much fun learning all aspects of being a good equestrian at your summer camps and her lessons are the highlight of her week.”
“Solid Strides has changed me as a person. Teaching me patience, which is something I have always lacked, responsibility, and giving me a place where I have friends who share a common love for horses… Every horses gives you something different and helps you in a certain way which to me is one of the best things horses can give you.”
Territorial Acknowledgement
Solid Strides is located in Eugene, Oregon on Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional Indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people. Following treaties between 1851 and 1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their indigenous homeland by the United States government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. Today, descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon. We acknowledge the African, Asian, Black, and Latinx labor on which this country is built.
While we are honored to share this land and have a part in safekeeping the resources for future generations, it is our collective responsibility as beneficiaries of these atrocities to bear witness to the historic and ongoing oppression of Indigenous people. Acknowledgment is only the beginning. We urge everyone to learn about this history, donate your time and money to Indigenous-led organizations, stand in solidarity with land protectors, advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women, and return land to its original stewards.