Our Mission

We are a community where horses transform the bodies, minds, and spirits of people with disabilities.

Commitment to Diversity

Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all participants, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders. We strive to ensure that everyone is respected and valued regardless of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, abilities, disabilities, socio-economic status, education, nationality, marital status, or any other factor. We actively promote a culture of equity and justice in our work, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive.

Our Values

**Engagement**
Participants, donors, volunteers, and staff are inspired to engage driven by our results-driven decisions and outcomes. We attract people with the right skillsets and passion for Little Bit’s mission. We inspire increased financial support and increase the number and quality of contributors. Volunteers deepen their engagement by their experiences and relationships.

Sunlight peeks through an image of a woman gently putting reins on a horse — **Leadership**
We attract and retain the best staff for the organization and the goals and needs ahead. We are recognized as cutting-edge, serving as a benchmark for other organizations in the industry. We lead with transparency. We expand our services to serve more stakeholders. Our decisions are based on outcomes, data, and measurable impact.

An image of a rider on a brown horse surrounded by 3 people and lush greenery — **Potential**
We see potential in all our stakeholders. We are committed to the continued professional development of staff members. We engage our volunteers in ways that match our needs with their talents and desires to participate. We fulfill the potential of Dunmire Stables. We recognize and develop the potential of each horse.

A little boy in a red puffer jacket and a wheelchair gently stroking the bowed head of a friendly horse — **Dignity and Respect**
We treat all our participants with dignity and respect. We acknowledge that Little Bit’s approach requires respectful treatment of our horses. We cultivate the participants’ families and the unique sense of community they find only at Little Bit. We are respected by the greater Redmond community for our dignified and respectful participation in local goals. We respect our staff and volunteers for their services, commitment, and talents.

A Little Bit volunteer in a red shirt standing near a brown horse — **Service**
We provide individual experiences that exceed expectations of participants, staff, board, volunteers, and the broader community. We demonstrate our impact through measurable results. We believe happy healthy horses are at the core of our success.

An action room filled with bidders holding up number signs — **Communities**
We create meaningful connections and engagement for participants, families, volunteers, donors, and staff. We inspire ambassadors for Little Bit through our demonstrated impact and meaningful engagement of all who come to know us. We honor and foster the family community that helps to sustain our families. We are recognized for our excellence: locally, nationally, and internationally.

SUSTAINABILITY

An image of Bear Creek — **Water**
Little Bit provides on-site stormwater management to reduce the impact of our horse herd on the environment since Little Bit’s operations are near Bear Creek, an important salmon stream. There are four detention ponds that help filter water that flows off the property. In addition, between Little Bit’s operations and Bear Creek is the largest rain garden in western Washington. It is managed in cooperation with King County to identify and remove invasive plant species.

One of Little Bit's red barns — **Energy**
Little Bit is committed to reducing its energy use and has 16 solar panels on its Alvord Barn roof that helps defray the cost of the electricity used in our barn by 19%. Appliances on our site are certified by Energy Star. Lights in our office building are regulated by motion control to reduce energy consumption when rooms are not in use.

Little Bit's commercial compost machine — **Composting**
Little Bit has a commercial compost machine that it operates to compost horse manure from our barn and wood shavings that are used as bedding for the horses in the barn. The compost that results is used on site and also donated to community gardeners.

Two horses grazing on a beautiful green field — **Agriculture**
Little Bit does not use any herbicides or pesticides on its 14-acre property. We also use biological fly control as a method for reducing flies on the property.

Benefits

Health Coverage

Little Bit offers full-time employees medical, dental and vision plans, as well as life insurance and disability coverage.

403 (b) Retirement Savings

All employees are eligible to self-fund a retirement savings plan.

Paid Time Off

Part-time employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. While full time employees earn paid vacation days at a rate based on tenure. Little Bit observes 11 paid holidays, during which part time employees are paid 1.2x their base hourly rate of pay for any hours worked on these holidays.

Discounts

Eligible employees receive a 25-50% discount on classes, therapy sessions, summer camps, and assessments for family members. Discounted riding lessons may be available to instructional and equine staff.

Professional Development

Little Bit supports employee professional development by covering costs associated with licensure, certification, and conference/clinic registration fees