About Us

Our Mission

Giant Steps is dedicated to enriching lives through the power of horses, team and community. Through the excellence of our equine-assisted programs, people of all ages, means, and challenges experience the extraordinary benefits of therapeutic riding and activities.

A person wearing a helmet and riding attire is sitting on a gray horse, holding the reins. Another person, wearing a cap and walking beside them, is smiling. Trees are visible in the background.

Our Commitment

Giant Steps strives to create a culture of belonging by fostering an inclusive, safe, and affirming community for the people we serve and for our horses. Our commitment to equity and inclusion cuts across ability, race, gender, and backgrounds, ensuring a rich diversity of voices that are respected and fully represented. By bringing together people of different abilities and life experiences, we grow, learn, and make our program and our community stronger.

Our Story

At Giant Steps, we strongly believe that all people can break down barriers to lead richer, more independent lives, regardless of the disabilities or challenges they may face. We have harnessed the therapeutic power of horses since 1998 to help people of all ages overcome their physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and developmental challenges. Since then, the clients we’ve served have represented more than 60 distinct disabilities and challenges as well as members of our military.

People come to Giant Steps for more than just the physical and mental benefits horses provide; they also want an enjoyable, social activity and a place to connect with others. Programs we offer range from mounted riding classes to unmounted horsemanship lessons that help clients improve their physical strength and also enhance their emotional and social capabilities. Over the years we have experienced many stories of transformation, seen our clients become physically stronger, more socially engaged, and emotionally aware. This is what drives us.

Beyond our quality programming, Giant Steps is also about community. We work to create a safe space where people can come and share their experiences with other families. It’s a place where, regardless of the disabilities or challenges people may be experiencing, they have the opportunity to bond with our horses, our dedicated instructors and volunteers, and other like-minded people who are all championing for their success. Here, one person’s success is a success for the entire Giant Steps community.

Our Standards

Logo of PATH International, depicting a stylized horse and rider above the text 'PATH International,' followed by 'Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International' and 'Premier Accredited Center.'

Giant Steps is proud to be a Premier Accredited Center by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.). We maintain premier accreditation status by upholding ourselves to the highest standards across safety, horse care, and business practices.

What PATH, Intl. accreditation ensures:

PATH, Intl. accredited instructors (training, certification, and qualifications are met)

  • All classes are conducted or directly supervised by PATH, Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors.

  • All PATH, Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors are certified in CPR, First Aid & AED.

  • Instructors must complete education hours each year to maintain accreditation.

Equine standards

  • Characteristics of each horse must be matched with a client’s needs and the proposed activities.

  • Each horse must be evaluated and adequately trained for the work to be performed.

  • Upholding equine welfare and management standards; horses are assured to be given a high level of care.

Highest safety/care standards for clients

  • Clients are properly evaluated at intake to to ensure they’re placed in an appropriate activity.

  • Medical and personal information about the client is always considered confidential.

  • Periodic re-assessments of clients, as their conditions/disabilities are subject to change.

PATH, Intl. accredited facility

  • Emergency procedures and safety regulations in place.

  • Facilities are maintained in good repair and ADA compliant.

  • Always emphasizing the safety of clients, volunteers, and horses.

Meet the Team

  • A woman with a blonde hair in a white shirt is posing closely with a brown horse. It appears to be a sunny day, and they are outside in a sandy area with trees and a fence in the background.

    Julie Larson

    Program Director, PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor, Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning

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  • A woman with long brown hair smiling outdoors, wearing a dark shirt and small earrings.

    Libby Porzig

    Executive Director

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  • Smiling person in front of a lake with mountains in the background

    Jen McWherter

    Head Instructor, PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor, Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning

  • Man wearing a striped shirt smiling, standing next to a horse in an indoor riding arena.

    Sean Willer

    Facility Manager & Riding Instructor

  • Person smiling next to a white horse wearing a bridle, outdoors with a fence and greenery in the background.

    Audrey Draper

    Barn Manager

  • A person wearing a plaid shirt and overalls stands next to a white horse inside a stable with wooden walls and barred windows.

    Beth Raetz

    Volunteer Coordinator; PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor

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  • Woman standing between a light-colored horse and a dark-colored horse in an outdoor paddock under a clear blue sky.

    Sara Silberschatz

    Assistant Barn Manager and Special Programming Coordinator

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  • Person smiling outdoors with blue polo shirt, scenic background

    Amy Barboro

    PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor

    read bio
  • A close-up of a person smiling next to a horse wearing a blue halter indoors.

    Nicole DeVito

    PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor

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  • Person riding a black and white horse indoors

    Debbie Gardner

    PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor

  • Person riding a horse on a wooded trail, wearing a helmet and smiling at the camera.

    Sue Rickard

    PATH, Intl. Certified Instructor

    read bio
  • A woman smiling and petting a white horse outdoors.

    Krissy Tukman

    Riding Instructor

  • Woman in dinosaur costume standing next to a white horse outdoors

    Tess Casey

    Riding Instructor

Our Board of Directors

  • Cindi Pérez, Chair

    Chief Operating Officer; Stifel Investment Services

  • Debra Beresini, Treasurer

    Co-Owner; Black Dog Ranch
    CEO: Invencor; inc.

  • Christina Henkel, Secretary 

    M. A., Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist

  • Julie Atwood

    Founder & Executive Director; HALTER Project

  • Karmen Johnson

    Co-founder, Tastemaker Comms

  • Andrea Pfeiffer

    Owner; Chocolate Horse Farm

  • Sarah Ryan

    Corporate Risk Strategy, Column

  • Dina Smith

    Executive Coach & Owner; Cognitas Coaching & Consulting

Our Founders

Robert Pope and Lee Justice found passion in raising Tennessee Walkers while enjoying retirement in Montana. They discovered the benefits of horseback riding for children with physical and mental disabilities in which the idea for a therapeutic riding center was born. Thanks to Robert’s love of music, John Coltrane inspired the name, Giant Steps.

A smiling couple posing with a fluffy dog near a scenic seaside view.

In 1996, Robert and Lee sold their ranch and brought their 12 horses to the Bay Area. They spent the next two years creating what would be the first home of Giant Steps on I Street in Petaluma. “One day, someone — I’ll never know who — put a blurb in a cerebral palsy support group newsletter, and the phone started ringing off the hook,” said Pope.

The program began with 10 riders and 19 volunteers, and today has grown to accommodate over 130 clients per week and now offers programs for veterans and community partners. For their work with Giant Steps, Bob and Lee were awarded the prestigious “Jefferson Award for Public Service” from the Institute of Nonprofit Leadership in Washington D.C. in 2006.  A year later, they received the “Real Heroes” award from the American Red Cross. Robert and Lee remained supportive of the program until their deaths in 2014.

Our Logo

Geometric illustration of a horse's head in shades of blue.

The geometric horse in the Giant Steps’ logo is a representation of the multi-faceted nature of Giant Steps program – in the types of programming we offer, the range of individuals we serve, the mix of people who make the program possible, and the variety of horses in our barn. The horse has been dubbed “Hero” because each of our clients, horses, and volunteers is a hero. The name has the added benefit of being easy to pronounce, which is a factor for many of our clients.

Our Financials