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Our Mission is to promote and enhance the physical and emotional growth of people of all ages and unique abilities through the use of therapeutic, outdoor experiences including interactions with horses and other domesticated animals.
The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and freedom.
- Sharon Ralls Lemon -
Courageous Connections Equine Therapy
Proudly serving Snohomish County, Washington!
These different programs offer participants, of all ages and abilities, a safe and unique opportunity to partner with horses while working from the ground. Check out each of our programs below!
What we hear from our volunteers:
'This is a life-changing experience'
We need your help!
In addition to arena help, we also need help with a variety of other activities such as Newsletters, Social Media, Marketing, Fundraising, and Event Planning. If you are a senior who is willing to share your time and experience, please contact us!
We couldn't exist without our Donors. Your donations provide scholarships to participants in need and help us care for our beautiful horses. Every dollar helps!
Message from the Board:
Now that spring is here, it is time to shake off the winter blues and enjoy the budding plants and shrubs, the longer and warmer days, the chirping birds, and for us to share with you the possibilities of Courageous Connections.
We are ready for new participants in classes and workshops, new partners and volunteers in Work Parties, and Activities for all ages, with both our “Fun” raising and “Fund” raising events for 2025.
Our winter was hard with our longest closure ever due to freezing weather and snow. It was hard for our participants and our staff, but it was also hard for the horses. They are used to being around people daily, so their routines were just as disrupted as ours. They are now enjoying the warmer weather and increased activity with their roles in Courageous Connections providing a place of acceptance and growth.
We are busy again with daily classes for our individual participants and regular workshops for our partners at Cancer Lifeline, Continuum Hospice, Denny Juvenile Justice Center, and Bridge Foster Care. We are very happy to welcome new participants from the Snohomish Department of Services for the Blind to a Workshop on March 22nd.
Despite the closure and weather, we accomplished a lot over the winter months. The well and water lines, lighting, power, wi-fi, house siding, and pathways have all been renovated or replaced. Much of the construction, repair and renovations were completed and we now have the new addition functioning and furnished. We have an ADA bathroom, office space known as “The Hub”, and a waiting room, “The Corral”, for those who bring participants. (We are particularly pleased that we were able to be true to one of our core values by recycling old tongue in groove timber from the stalls, to line a wall in The Corral).
In the garden, volunteers added a tool shed and filled the raised beds with high quality planting soil. Irrigation lines are in. The black weed suppressing plastic has been moved to the upper barn yards for future use and we are ready for the asphalt to go down on the ADA garden pathways. We commenced the remedial sheet mulching with cardboard, leaves, gunny sacks and straw. For the moment we will concentrate on planting in the raised beds.
Our first Volunteer Work Party on March 15th, with volunteers from Whole Foods, Edmonds, was a great success with the laying of wood chips around the outside of the raised beds, the painting of garden furniture, and putting the chicken coop together. We had a total of 21 volunteers who signed up to help us for our first 2025 Work Party.
At The Farm, the small animal pens are ready to welcome two kid goats when they are weaned in mid-April. We are looking forward to helping them acclimate to their new environment and learning to socialize with our participants. Rabbits and chickens are due later this spring.
In addition to the 7 Work Parties planned over the summer, we have several, new, evening “Craft Activities”. In April one of our volunteers, Jess, will lead a Jewelry Making Class. In May, Barb will help with Rock Painting and in August, Lisa will guide us in (real) Horseshoe Decorating. We invite you to participate in any or all of these “Fun” raising activities” as well as our “Fun at the Farm” Community Outreach event on June 28th. We want to show what we have to offer and listen to what the community might suggest for us.
On September 13th, we will hold our big “Fundraising Event”, a “Boogie, Boots and BBQ” Barn Dance – Save the Date!
We are so excited about the year ahead of us and all of the activities we have planned. We are so grateful to our community of friends and donors without whose work and financial support we couldn’t exist. There is so much to celebrate and look forward to, together.