By Kathleen Reynolds
From early childhood, Charlotte Dougherty suffered a traumatic life. She was abused, rebelled as a teen, started using drugs and found herself in prison. In 2009, she altered her course by starting SpiritHorse, a therapeutic equine experience for those in need.
“I changed my life from trauma and being a victim, to being a survivor and wanting to give back to the community,” says Charlotte, a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Community Service.
SpiritHorse provides Equine Assisted Therapy to Diverse Abilities Children/Adults. “Anybody who asks me to do a program for them, any population that is overlooked, I will always say yes,” says Charlotte, a Certified Instructor by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horses (PATH) and a certified Facilitator for both the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) and Arenas for Change (ARCH).
“Ever since I was 12 years old, I wanted to have a program for teen girls who had been abused. It was always this driving need in my head. I’d tell people when I was in prison that I was going to do this program when I got out.”
According to their website (spirithorsebayarea.org): “Equine-Assisted Activities recognizes the profound bond between humans and horses and leverages it to promote growth and healing. Horses, intuitive and sensitive animals, can mirror human emotions, providing immediate feedback to participants. This experiential form of equine-assisted activities allows individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a safe and supportive environment.”
SpiritHorse International has helped children with learning disabilities such as autism, MS, MD, cerebral palsy and Down’s Syndrome learn to speak. They are taught to walk, sit up, stand, and do the simple things most of us take for granted so they can have a better quality of life. At-risk youth are taught to make smarter decisions and become better role models with the right guidance.
SpiritHorse has been extremely successful in the past 12 years, but Charlotte isn’t satisfied to rest on her accomplishments.
“I’d like to do a lot more teen programs through the summer,” she says. “We also have a great partnership with Solano Care Hospice, for patients and their families. Even with people who are bedridden, we can bring them a petting zoo, a small goat or a tiny pony.”
“We do programs with assisted living, with their memory care units. We’ve been conducting programs like that for the past few years, and I’m excited this year about growing it even more. I can see a difference with people in memory care. Lots of people have had previous animal experiences. It’s wonderful to see them light up when they get to connect with the horses.”
“Last May, we started a veteran’s program. Right now, veterans come from Martinez VA and Concord Vet Center. If you are a Vet, please reach out. Every Tuesday we have ten to 17 veterans come with their families.”
Charlotte says they have many success stories.
Once a woman came to me and asked if her friend who had Guillain-Barré Syndrome (a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system) could ride with us. The friend used to be an RN at Kaiser and also rode horses and was now needing a walker. I agreed to try it. We were able to get her on and held her on each side of the horse. We would do stretching exercises with her on the horse; we’d walk with her. She rode with me for almost two years. I designed a horse bareback pad, and I put stirrups on it for her. After riding, she did loosen her legs up a little. She actually was able to ride alone eventually. Being able to do something like that is one of the greatest gifts ever.”
“Recently a teen girl, about 14, came out who had a scowl on her face. She said to me, “I hate horses.” I said that’s okay, horses aren’t for everyone. I asked her if she was afraid of them. She said “Yes, I’m afraid.” While her friend was riding, she kept looking down at the ground. We suggested that she just stand on the mounting block next to the horse and just put her hand on the horse. I explained to her how a horse’s heartbeat will connect with you within a 9’ radius. She put her hand on the horse’s back and tears started pouring down her face. She eventually rode and she was smiling the whole time.”
“I’ve had so many things like that happen throughout the years. That’s why I do the program, that’s what it’s all about. About giving back to people who others overlook.”
Once rehabilitated, Charlotte started to realize her dream at Giant Steps in Petaluma, one of the biggest therapeutic riding programs in this area.
“I was teaching at Giant Steps, but I wanted to have my own nonprofit to help at-risk youth. My mom had one horse, and I did one free lesson with that horse every week; that’s how I started the program. I learned you could certify with SpiritHorse International in Texas. Friends gave me money to go back there. I got certified and that’s how SpiritHorse started. We were then able to get our non-profit 501c3 designation.”
It wasn’t easy to build the organization.
“I had nobody to help me financially. I cleaned toilets to start and support the program. I’ve worked seven days a week all these years. This while I’ve been raising my two granddaughters, ages seven and nine, by myself. I’ve had the nine-year-old since she was a year old. When she was little, I used to teach with her on my back in a backpack.”
“I truly feel I’m guided to do these programs and lead from my heart. Every time I had no money and thought I couldn’t do this anymore, something would open up and say no, you can; you’re supposed to keep going. Now we work with so many different populations.”
“As a partner of the Napa Office of Education, we’ve done the Camille Creek Program for three years. It’s an alternative community high school for kids who have been expelled from other schools. Students come every Friday from 9:30 to 12:00 and they clean stalls, water horses, get horses out and learn horsemanship, they groom and then they get to ride. It’s been very successful. We are looking to partner with more Alternative Community Schools.”
“A new program with the schools that will happen this year is Partners in Riding. That’s a really exciting program because we have Napa Junction School right across the street.”
Like most nonprofits, SpiritHorse needs money to survive. With up to 10 horses at any one time, the costs can mount quickly.
“Annually it’s about $6,000-$6,500 to feed and care for a horse. That’s if the horse is healthy. The vet bills are astronomical in this area. It used to be that you could go to UC Davis for care, but now they’re higher than local vets sometimes.”
Last year, with the help of the Rotary Club of Napa, of which Charlotte is an honorary member, they held a barbeque fundraiser Spirit of Rotary with live music, petting zoo and roping demonstrations. They plan to do another Spirit of Rotary event on May 17, 2025.
“We also need instructors, most of whom are volunteers. It’s difficult to get instructors because most people who teach have another job. We have close to 20 volunteers right now. It’s never enough. We have volunteers who care for the horses and feed them, but days we don’t have volunteers, I do all that.”
When she has a discouraged student, she often tells them “Use your pain as your strength.”
“I’d had so much pain and trauma in my life since I was a little girl. When I got clean and changed my life, I decided instead of letting my pain destroy me, I use my pain to make me strong.”
“I want my legacy to be for people to remember how to be an inspiration to others, to be kind and grateful. Lots of time when people go through trauma they get hooked on drugs, because they feel that it will take the pain away. I want people to know you can take that pain and make it your strength to be successful and be inspired that no matter what has happened to you, you too can change your life. I actually got clean in my mom’s house where it was okay to use. A lot of times people say they can’t get clean because this is how I grew up. I want people to know that they too can do it.”
“The most important thing for people to know is that we are here solely to make a difference in the community, community over self. We are here to empower people through horses and animals. Plus, almost all our horses and animals were given a second chance. Like us, they all have a story behind them.”
.................................................................................................................................... 4 EUCALYPTUS DR., AMERICAN CANYON. |. 707.720.6360. |. SPIRITHORSEBAYAREA.ORG
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