IMG_7239

Independence. Strength. Courage.

Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy operates at a ranch in north western Kansas City, Kansas, where we lease our riding horses & facility located on a 40-acre education-focused horse ranch. Great Plains is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International member center and 501c3 nonprofit organization providing adaptive horseback riding programs to children and adults with special abilities. We currently provide approximately 25-30 lessons a week. Each lesson requires an instructor, 1-3 trained volunteers, handicap accessible facilities and very special horses. All of this is possible with support from individuals and business donors.

Our goal is for Great Plains riders to become as independent as they can be. While this looks different for each individual, it takes the same patience, persistence, and love of riding.

A man and boy riding on the back of a white horse.

Independence. Strength. Courage.

Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy operates on a 40-acre education-focused horse ranch in Kansas City, KS where we lease our riding horses & facility. Great Plains is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International member center and 501c3 nonprofit organization providing adaptive horseback riding programs to children and adults with special abilities. We currently provide approximately 25-30 lessons a week. Each lesson requires an instructor, 1-3 trained volunteers, handicap accessible facilities and very special horses. All of this is possible with support from individuals and business donors.

Our goal is for our riders to become as independent as they can be. While this looks different for each individual, it takes the same patience, persistence, and love of riding.

Our Journey

Founded in 2013 and as the first program of its kind in Wyandotte County, Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy
provides adaptive riding services to children and adults with special abilities and other adaptive needs.

Our program forms a connection between horse and rider that improves our clients' overall well-being.

Great Plains programming is designed to serve individuals with physical and cognitive needs, including autism spectrum disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Down syndrome, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, limited mobility, emotional disorders, and vision and hearing impairments.

IMG_5606

Meet Our Dedicated Horseback Riding Instructors!

A woman standing next to a horse in the dirt.

Kim O’Connor | Lead Instructor

Kim fell in love with horses in college at the University of Oklahoma. She worked on a small horse farm in exchange for riding lessons. After graduating in 1996, her next involvement with horses was at Heartland Adaptive Riding Center as a volunteer. She volunteered for a few years, and then that was put on hold to work on her business.

In March of 2021, she started volunteering at Great Plains and, that June, became an instructor. Kim owns an Independent Insurance Agency, but her love and passion these days are with the horses and the riders!

In her spare time, Kim spoils her two four-legged kids Charlie and Sam!

“I love to see the smiles on our riders faces when they do something for the first time. I love to help them feel free while in the saddle!”

Honoring Our Adaptive Riding Program With Passion

We are pleased to introduce ourselves as the  Board of Directors for the Great Plains Adaptive Riding Academy. We are committed to honoring this program and helping Great Plains thrive. 

Thank you for believing and investing your time and energy into this program. We are looking forward to serving you all for this great cause. If you see us around the barn, please feel free to say hi, ask questions, and share any concerns and comments you have. Our goal is to make the Great Plains the best program it can be to serve our amazing community!

Laurie, James, Steve, Christine, Katelyn,  & Kali 

Feel free to share your comments, suggestions or questions with the board.

President
Laurie Mosier

Horses have always been an important influence in my life. After discovering Great Plains, I feel like I get to experience tiny miracles all the time. There is truly nothing better than to watch the riders develop and grow while laughing and smiling. At the barn, the outside world just melts away. There is no place quite like this.

A woman and two dogs sitting in the grass.

Where Are We Located

Great Plains serves individuals in Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson, and Douglas counties in Kansas, as well as the greater Kansas City, Missouri region. We offer year-round riding at our PATH member center.