Frequently Asked Questions

STAR Riders welcomes children and adults with disabilities — physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, and social. We believe every person can gain from the experience, whether or not they become an independent rider. School groups with special-needs students are also welcome — classes from Salinas to Marina have ridden with us for years.

STAR Riders does not charge for services to any child. The program is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operated entirely by the donations and efforts of our community.

At the Marina Equestrian Center, on the corner of 9th Street and 5th Avenue in Marina, California (the former Fort Ord stables), in Monterey County. Enter from Highway 1 or from Reservation Road — see directions and the map.

Please dress whoever is riding in long pants and boots with a heel, if possible. Riding helmets are provided at the arena.

Yes — every rider needs a program participation consent form, and every volunteer needs a volunteer consent form. You can download both, along with the conduct policy and family signup form, on our forms page.

Lessons run on weekends, with the last weekend of each month off, and the riding season traditionally ends at the end of November. Contact the program director to schedule your first visit, and check the season schedule.

STAR Riders is 100% volunteer based. Volunteers come from local colleges, high schools, the military, and the community. Volunteering satisfies the community service graduation requirement for Monterey–Salinas area high schools, and we are a Service Learning Site for CSUMB students. Complete a volunteer consent form and contact Program Director Linda Martin — or read more on the volunteering page.

STAR Riders was an operating center of NARHA — the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, known today as PATH International, the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

Yes. STAR Riders hosts school groups with students who have special needs. Teachers can arrange visits around their classroom schedule by contacting the program director — see the Salinas Spanish class photo album for a past visit, and Cindy's story from a special day class teacher.

The program is operated by donations and volunteer effort. It is sustained by grants from community foundations and by gifts from service clubs, businesses, and individual friends of the program. Donations are tax-deductible — see ways to give.