The Right Step Inc Celebrates New Barn Opening for Therapeutic Riding Programs

A volunteer providing a therapeutic riding lesson for a young girl with a disability.

First Steps for The Right Step, Inc.

EquuStyle: To start at the beginning, what was the initial spark or "why" that led to the founding of The Right Step?

Christine: The Right Step, Inc. was founded at a family-owned hunter/jumper lesson barn. They had a barn full of school horses who didn’t necessarily need to jump anymore, but needed a job. They also had a client riding with them who was on the Autism Spectrum, so it was a natural fit.

EquuStyle: How has the organization’s mission evolved from those early days to where you are today?

Christine:  In the early days, it was mostly about just getting kids and adults with disabilities on horses and watching the magic happen. Today we are much more professional and focused. We also recognize the benefits of working with the horses on the ground. It isn’t all about riding. It’s also the connection that is built between horse and human.

EquuStyle: Looking back at the previous location, what are some of the most impactful milestones or success stories that defined that chapter of your history?

Christine:  We were able to hire more staff and even hired our first paid Executive Director! We celebrated our 15th anniversary and then went on to have two increasingly successful galas. And all this happened even though Covid shutdowns happened less than six months after we had moved into that location. We shut down completely for 3 months, with a small group of us being responsible for the horse care. We reopened cautiously to very appreciative clients who were not doing well with doing everything virtually. And then we grew until we couldn’t grow anymore.

The Transition & New Location

Six of the horses arrive at their new home

EquuStyle: A move of this scale is a massive undertaking. What were the primary drivers behind choosing this specific new location for the horses and your programs?

Christine:  Sisters Erica Gandomcar-Sachs and Tara Hieb of Of Horse You Can have an amazing vision for building an equestrian community on the grounds of the Denver Polo Club. The barn we are leasing is the second they have planned in a series of five in a “village” for programs of all disciplines to lease. The barn next door to us is a hunter/jumper program, and we have already benefited from their advice and assistance. In return, we are helping them by leasing a few stalls to them for their overflow sale horses while we still have room in the barn. It truly takes a village! 

"Dot" checks out her friends as they enter their new stalls

Choosing this location came about because one of our instructors, Sarah Nadler, is also a polo player. She knew of the planned community and provided the introductions. The location is ideal because it is only 20 minutes away from our previous location, so we were able to retain most of our clients and volunteers. We were also not financially able to buy our own property. Leasing a brand new barn that we can somewhat tailor to our needs is amazing!

The new space includes a dedicated 20-stall barn, indoor and outdoor arenas, and turnout pens, allowing us to expand our adaptive riding and horsemanship programs, improve accessibility, and serve more clients from our 280+ person waitlist.

This move represents a transformational step forward for our mission, our horses, and the communities we serve. I am thrilled to move into our own space, where we'll have the opportunity to move people off our waitlist and allow them to experience the immeasurable power

of horses!

EquuStyle:  How does the new environment specifically enhance the healing experience for both your clients and the horses?

Christine:  The most important thing is that we don’t have to share the space! We came from a busy lesson barn where there was always something going on. We can create a more calm and private space for our clients when needed. It can be even more of an oasis from the outside world where everyone can just breathe and be in the moment. Logistically, our schedule has opened up. Clients are better able to find lesson times that fit their needs. We’re also adding more lessons and bringing in more clients.

Our horses also benefit. They have all-day turnout and bigger turnout pens that allow them to be in social groups. We also have access to trails on the property so we can get them out of the arena, which can be really good for their brains.

EquuStyle: You recently mentioned that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" regarding the move. What has been the most rewarding part of seeing the staff and horses settle into this new space?

Christine:  I love seeing the look of “wow” whenever anyone steps into our new space for the first time. It has been a lot of work and a lot of long hours, but we have a great community who has come together to make it happen. The true reward will be when lessons start up again on June 7th, and we see the immeasurable power of our horses to improve lives again every day. We’ve missed the clients!

Looking Forward

EquuStyle: Once you are established in the new location, what are your primary goals for the remainder of 2026?

Christine:  The rest of this year will still be a time of settling in. There will be a lot of evaluation of what works and what doesn’t in this new space. It will take a while to figure out the flow. We will increase our lesson numbers, but slowly. We want to take the time to do everything right.

We will also be working hard to continue our fundraising efforts so we can make further improvements to the barn and obtain all the equipment needed. A big part of it is everything needed to keep the barn comfortable in all weather-fans in the summer and insulation and heating in the winter.

EquuStyle:  Are there any new programs or community collaborations that this new location makes possible?

Christine:  We will be expanding our “Connections” program, which is a curriculum-based, ground program focused on building relationships with horses while developing personal awareness, emotional balance, and life skills. Participants learn through guided interactions with horses and structured learning activities. We have one full day a week dedicated to having different groups come in for this program.

We are excited to be able to host events at the barn. For example, on June 18, we are hosting a Sunrise Social networking event for the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. 

An affectionate moment following an adaptive riding lesson.

Participants of all ages and abilities have an opportunity to develop strength, balance, confidence, and communication while riding or working alongside specially trained horses.

We’re also looking forward to being a part of polo and other events on the property. We will continue to provide volunteers and an information table for the Polo Club’s Sunday Fundays. We also hope that we will be able to have information out at the horse shows on the property. 

EquuStyle:  When you look toward the "long arc of change" for The Right Step, what is your ultimate vision for the impact you hope to have on the community in the years to come?

Christine:  This move is a step toward becoming a more sustainable, successful program that improves the lives of everyone it touches. Our vision is to become a model program in the Equine Assisted Services industry. We would love to have other programs come to us as the standard for how to do things right.

Grand Opening Celebration

The Right Step, Inc. (TRS) is proud to invite the community to celebrate the Grand Opening of its new home at Of Horse You Can! Village on Sunday, July 26, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

This special event will officially welcome clients, families, volunteers, donors, community partners, and supporters to the organization’s new facility while showcasing the life-changing impact of equine-assisted programs throughout the community.

Guests will enjoy an afternoon of fun and connection featuring:

•  Special guest speakers

•  Live entertainment

•  Professional horse photography sessions

•  Fairy hair

•  Snacks and beverages

•  Guided barn tours

•  Meet-and-greets with TRS horses, instructors, volunteers, and clients

Most importantly, the celebration will highlight the incredible clients who are at the heart

and soul of TRS’s mission of improving lives through the immeasurable power of horses

TRS empowers individuals of all abilities to build confidence, connection, independence,

and joy through inclusive equine experiences that inspire growth, learning, and belonging.

The Right Step, Inc. Celebrates Grand Opening of New Home

at Of Horse You Can! Village

Sunday, July 26, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

The Right Step, Inc. at Of Horse You Can! Village

6359 Airport Rd, Sedalia, CO 80135

PATH INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITED CENTER

2025 EQUUS Foundation Award for The Right Step, Inc.

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All images Copyright The Right Step, Inc. and EquuStyle Magazine -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from The Right Step, Inc. and/or EquuStyle Magazine.

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Eddie’s Turn: How Equine Therapy Transformed a Burned-Out ICU Nurse and a Retired Racehorse

Writer/Director Annika Hylmö and crew on the set of the upcoming film Eddie's Turn. Photo: Ashley Covington

Swedish filmmaker Annika Hylmö had just completed her first short film, the film festival award-winning comedy Dr. Penelope, was enjoying the critical acclaim and looking forward to pre-production on her next two projects when the COVID pandemic in 2020 shut down the film industry. Gone were the movie theatre audiences and with them the funding – donations and grants – that independent filmmakers rely on. 

“It was very tough,” said Hylmö, who has been living in California for over 20 years. “I wrote scripts and made short films for many years, with the goal to make narrative films, something I’ve been working toward my whole career.” The shut-down left everything open-ended, with no clue how long it would last. Discouraged, worried about her career and her finances, Hylmö started experiencing anxiety and knew she needed to take care of her mental health.

Hylmö and Eddie on one of their afternoon jaunts. "I try to ride at least three times each week." Photo: Ashley Covington

As a youngster, the one activity that soothed her more than anything else was riding. As often as she could, Annika would make her way over to the stable and take one of the horses for a ride. “I realized I wanted to start riding again,” Hylmö said, who never formally quit riding but between getting her master's degree and her Ph. D in Communications she didn’t have time for something she once thought of as a hobby.

It took only a couple of weeks of riding regularly that made Hylmö realize this was much, much more than a hobby. Annika got back into riding three days a week, exploring new trails and vistas, and getting to know Eddie, the 10-year-old white gelding she rode regularly. Eddie had been a successful racehorse, who competed at Santa Anita and Del Mar racetracks before an injury forced his retirement. 

Eddie, who would soon be Annika’s horse, did more for Hylmö’s mental health than she could have imagined. “I experienced such a dramatic change in the way I felt about myself and about my life when I was around him that I wanted to learn what this was about,” she said, leading her to discovery a therapeutic school for treating anxiety disorders and trauma called equine therapy, where the presence of a horse in the therapy sessions give clients a sense of security as they reveal their feelings. She learned that former racehorses were among the best equine therapy partners, due to their temperament and self-discipline. “I became aware of this incredibly symbiotic relationship happening across species,” Hylmö said. “We have the capacity – and the desire – to help each other, to make both of us better.”

Facetime for Eddie and Annika

Annika share a close bond Eddie

Eddie and Annika share a sweet moment

All photos of Annika Hylmö and Eddie by Ashly Covington

Hylmö believes the narrative story-telling format will resonate more powerfully with audiences because of the emotional nature of the horse and human connection. “In a documentary, you can tell the audience what the problem is you’re trying to solve,” Hylmö said. “In a scripted story you have to make them feel it.”  Films like Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Robert Redford’s classic The Horse Whisperer, have gone down in history as forever changing the way humans understand horses and, how they understand us. Steven Spielberg’s War Horse gave us a closer look at the inner life of horses and the trust that is so vital to any meaningful horse/human dynamic.

Eddie's Turn Producer Betsy Pollock being interviewed about the challenges of bringing a short film to life. Photo: Ashly Covington

With her mission clear, Hylmö turned to her good friend and colleague, Academy Award®-winning producer Betsy Pollock, who was AFI’s head of production for 16 years. Together they produced a budget that included pre-production, principal photography and post-production, horse wrangling, ranch and stable rentals, cast and crew. One of Hylmö’s first hires was Bergitte Jorgensen of Bixi Communications to create and support an online and social media presence for Eddie’s Turn. “Fundraising for independent projects has always been difficult,” stated Pollock, “and has become even more so as the industry has contracted over the past few of years, as all independent filmmakers know. Fortunately, there are organizations like our fiscal sponsor, Film Independent, that partner with indie filmmakers to provide support, networking opportunities, outreach, etc.”

Pollock and Hylmö discuss a story point during rehearsal. (Photo: Ashly Covington)

Rolf Gustafsson previous owner of Eddie at Red Rock Riding Ranch. (Photo: Ashley Covington)

Red Rock Riding Ranch is located in the majestic hills north of Los Angeles. Photo: Ashley Covington

Hylmö gives Eddie his post-workout grooming. (Photo: Ashley Covington)

All photos of Annika Hylmö and Eddie by Ashly Covington

Annika and her team are investing in a concentrated social media and outreach campaign for Fall 2025 to support the EquuStyle article’s publication with racetracks, horse owners, breeding farms, horse clubs and more. “We believe that Eddie’s Turn can have social impact and make a difference in our world,” said Hylmö. “It’s our intention once the film is complete and we’ve finished our festival run to offer Eddie’s Turn as a fundraising tool to off-the-track thoroughbred communities and an educational tool for equine therapy centers.”

“We’re made aware every day that there’s a mental heath crisis out there,” Annika said thoughtfully, “and a need for more affordable care. It is our hope that Eddie’s Turn will help build awareness of Equine Therapy and its value, for people looking for help and for on-and-off-track racehorse owners as well.”

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EquuStyle Magazine expresses gratitude to Pamela Rodi for her captivating article on the forthcoming film Eddie's Turn and Ashly Covington's photography. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those involved in the creation of Eddie's Turn, particularly filmmakers Annika Hylmö and Producer Betsy Pollock, who aim to highlight the advantages of equine-assisted therapy for people of all backgrounds.

All images are copyrighted by Ashly Covington and Eddie's Turn Movie - all rights reserved. Reproduction for any purpose is prohibited without permission from Ashly Covington and Eddie's Turn Movie.

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