Our Practice

HOPE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering Equine-Assisted Activities Services (EAS) founded in 2009 by Dr. Priscilla Lightsey, PT, DPT, MA, HPCS. Our EAS sessions involve a partnership between the horse and a human. Participants may learn to groom, lead, ride, and care for a horse. These activities may facilitate growth in a variety of areas - often much faster than in a clinical or academic setting. Many skills can be enhanced by EAS: gross and fine motor skills, listening, following directions, communication, and patience.

Our Schedule

HOPE operates two semester sessions and summer camps throughout the month of July.

Semesters: March - June | September - January | July*

Hours: Monday—Friday 9:30am—5:00pm         

*Our summer camp accepts six students per session.

To arrange a visit to our site in Beijing, please contact
Lucia Zhou: hopebeijingchina@163.com
Mobile/WeChat : 18513161878

For other inquiries visit our contact us page.

Who We Serve

People and Communities Served:

  • Bethel Foster Home - an orphanage for blind & visually impaired children

  • Shepherd's Field Children’s Village- an orphanage for children with special needs

  • Migrant Children’s Foundation  - an organization for disadvantaged children

  • Angel Home Orphanage – offering medical assistance for the abandoned orphans

  • Agape Orphanage – serving orphans with Spina Bifida, CP

  • Local Chinese Community

  • Child from Xi’An who traveled to Beijing to participate in HOPE Summer Camp

  • Individuals from the expatriate community

Diagnoses Served:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Cerebral Palsy (CP)

  • Blind & Visually Impaired

  • Albinism

  • Down Syndrome

  • Global Developmental Delay

  • Spina Bifida

  • Low Muscle Tone

  • Muscular Dystrophy

  • Muscular Sclerosis

  • Lissencephaly (Neuronal Migration Disorder)

How You Can Get Involved

Fundraise with HOPE:

The majority of the HOPE annual budget relies heavily on donations. Our community partners pay no fees, but we charge for services on a sliding scale for other participants. Our annual budget is devoted to horse care, riding equipment, transportation and lunches for children from orphanages and our volunteers, and salary and training for staff members.

Volunteer with HOPE:

Reach out if you are interested in supporting HOPE in any of the following capacities:

  • Horse Handler in Beijing (HOPE training required)

    • Experience with horses preferred; half-day weekly or bi-weekly commitment

  • Side Walker in Beijing (HOPE training required)

    • 16 years or older; half-day weekly or bi-weekly commitment; no horse experience required

  • Translator (English-Chinese bilingual)

  • Website Manager/Designer in US

  • Graphic Designer

  • Writer/blog editor

  • Assistance in fundraising

  • Photographer