New Equine Wellness Center Takes Root in Ramapo

New Horizon Riding Club brings individualized equine-assisted wellness to Rockland County, using the unique relationship between people and horses to support children, teens and adults facing emotional and personal challenges.

A new kind of wellness program is taking root at the Ramapo Equestrian Center.

New Horizon Riding Club, led by longtime horsewoman Dana Mase, has launched an individualized equine-assisted wellness program serving children, teens and adults throughout Rockland County and the surrounding community.

This is not traditional horseback riding. Participants work privately, one-on-one with Mase and a carefully selected horse, often over a period of time. The work uses the relationship with the horse to help participants build confidence, trust, emotional regulation and a stronger sense of connection. When appropriate, the program can also complement a participant’s existing therapeutic care, including communication and coordination with mental-health professionals.

In just its first weeks of operation, New Horizon has developed an active caseload of children, teens and adults participating in individualized sessions. Additional families are expressing interest, a growing volunteer network is developing around the stable, and the program is beginning to consider additional horses and instructors as it grows.

The program builds upon more than 20 years of Mase’s experience working with horses and individuals facing anxiety, trauma, emotional challenges and difficult life circumstances.

“The horse gives us another way in,” said Mase, Founder and Executive Director of New Horizon Riding Club. 

“We’re not simply trying to teach someone how to ride. We’re using the relationship with the horse to help someone work through something in his or her own life. Trust develops, confidence develops, and sometimes a person begins to see themselves differently.”

Sessions are tailored to the individual. They may involve riding, grooming, caring for a horse, groundwork, or simply spending time developing a relationship with the animal. The goal is not riding proficiency; the horse and the relationship become part of the wellness process.

“Some of the most important moments happen quietly,” Mase said. “A child can come into the barn carrying anxiety, fear or something she may not even know how to express. The horse doesn’t ask her to explain it. That’s often where something begins.”

New Horizon’s larger vision is to develop an Equine Wellness Center for Rockland County — a quiet, supportive setting that can work with families and, where appropriate, alongside therapists, schools and community organizations serving people who may benefit from an equine-centered environment.

An existing 501(c)(3) organization is also being aligned with New Horizon’s charitable mission, with plans to develop scholarship opportunities and charitable support so that financial circumstances do not prevent families from accessing the program.

The launch comes at a time of transition for the Ramapo Equestrian Center, as plans move forward for the Town-owned property to be transferred to Rockland County and its future use continues to take shape. New Horizon’s founders hope the growing wellness program can become part of that future.

“We believe there is an opportunity for the property to serve important County and law-enforcement purposes while also preserving space for an equine wellness program serving the community,” said Barry Mase, Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Development. “We hope New Horizon can become part of the long-term vision for the property.”

For Dana Mase, New Horizon represents a return to Rockland County after years of developing and operating equine programming elsewhere. Her work has reached hundreds of young people and families over the years, reinforcing the idea that a stable can be far more than a place to ride a horse.

“We started New Horizon believing there was a need for this,” Barry Mase said. “What we’ve seen in these first weeks has only reinforced that belief. Families are participating, volunteers are getting involved, and we’re beginning to see what this can become.”

The organization is working to expand carefully while preserving the private, individualized nature of the program.

“Our goal isn’t simply to grow for the sake of growing,” Barry Mase said. “It’s to build something lasting — a real community resource where horses can reach people in ways that sometimes nothing else can.”

Learn more at newhorizonriding.org or by calling 845-356-1464.