Mission
Camp Able’s mission is to cultivate healthy, independent living for people with special needs through skills based training and equine therapy, with a special focus on using horses that have been given sanctuary from difficult circumstances.
Vision
Camp Able’s vision is that self-sufficiency is a reasonable and achievable goal for humans regardless of mental, emotional and physical capabilities, with the full acceptance and understanding of their caregivers and society at large.
Respect
Equality
Empowerment
Compassion
Collaboration
Dignity
Balance
Patience
Diversity
About Us
Camp Able of Buffalo Gap (“Camp Able”) is a nonprofit organization that provides equine therapy to people with special needs and sanctuary to unwanted or neglected horses. At Camp Able, people with special needs experience broad improvements
that lead to greater confidence and self-sufficiency, while horses find rehabilitation, care, training and a home.
Camp Able’s main facility is located 10 miles outside Abilene at the foot of a limestone mesa that forms one side of “the gap” that is known as Buffalo Gap. To accommodate ongoing growth in demand for its programs and services, Camp
Able recently purchased 83 acres of farmland four miles from its current facility. On this new property, Camp Able plans to build a new Therapeutic Riding Complex, which is the subject of its ongoing Capital Campaign (called Vision2020).
Equine Therapy At Camp Able
Throughout the year, Camp Able offers therapeutic riding instruction to individuals with special needs, including those diagnosed with autism, stroke, emotional and intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, traumatic
brain injury, post-traumatic stress and other conditions. Approximately 85% of Camp Able’s participants are school-aged children, with the remainder adults with special needs, including military veterans.
Therapeutic riding programs are available for both individuals and groups. All sessions are by appointment only with one of Camp Able’s therapeutic riding instructors.
As part of its equine therapy programs, Camp Able created landscaped riding trails to provide an authentic west Texas riding experience. These trails include sensory stations for children with special needs to enhance their educational
experience. Camp Able also has a fenced riding arena that provides a more controlled environment for clients with severe special needs and or who are not yet capable of managing a trail ride.
Camp Able’s Horse Sanctuary
All horses brought to Camp Able’s horse sanctuary are evaluated for use in therapeutic riding. Those not used in equine therapy are found adoptive homes or cared for by Camp Able for their
rest of their natural lives. More than two-thirds of the horses at Camp Able are used in (or in training for) therapeutic riding activities.
News and Updates
Capital Campaign – Vision 2020
Vision 2020 is a multi-year campaign to help Camp Able meet its current and future growth demands. Camp Able’s current outdoor-only facility results in weather-related cancellations to therapeutic riding sessions, which can
impair the progress of individuals striving to overcome physical, emotional, intellectual or social challenges. Further, Camp Able’s horse sanctuary is full and it needs more space to accommodate ongoing requests to provide
safe haven for additional horses.
The goal of Vision 2020 is two-fold: 1) to raise the funds necessary to expand Camp Able’s horse sanctuary and 2) to build a Therapeutic Riding Complex that will include a covered riding arena, as well as classrooms, stalls, and storage facilities, to support its year-round equine therapy programs. The campaign is being completed in five phases.
In February 2019, Camp Able purchased 83 acres of farmland four miles from its current facilities, representing Phase 1 of Vision2020. This property has substantial pasture areas, plenty of underground/well water to provide irrigation and year-round grazing,
and a plenty of space for a future therapeutic riding center.
The five phases of Camp Able’s Vision 2020 Capital Campaign include the following:
- Phase 1: purchase land – done 2019
Phase 2: renovate existing structures – 93% complete (98% funded) - Phase 3: construct horse shelters – underway (100% funded)
Phase 4: construct covered practice area – target 2023 (41% funded) - Phase 5: develop Therapeutic Riding Complex – target 2025 (4% funded)
Camp Able’s estimated costs for all five phases is $5,589,560 of which it has thus far raised 23% or $1,287,000.
Camp Able is now working to complete Phases 2, 3 and 4. To do so, it needs to raise $167,080 (figure as of mid-November 2022.) If you’d like to help Camp Able achieve its
Vision 2020 goals, please contact us at
info@camp-able.org or 325-572-4145.
Giving Tuesday 2022
Increasing prices and supply shortages have constrained Camp Able’s operating budget in 2022. Just to cover basic necessities – like feed and veterinary care for our horses – we’ve had to dip into reserves that had been earmarked for other areas of building our organization so we can respond to the increased demand for our services. As of mid-November 2022, we were still $86,215 shy of achieving our operating targets for the year, which restricts our ability to achieve our mission today and tomorrow.
How can you help? You can donate to our #GivingTuesday Facebook Fundraiser, or through the Donate button on this website. We are always grateful to receive support through the U.S. mail at P.O. Box 695, Buffalo Gap, TX 79508.
Whether it’s $5 or $500, every dollar is appreciated and will help us reach our goals to help others.
You can also help by telling your friends why you support Camp Able. Every time you spread the word, you help us achieve our goals. Camp Able’s mission and vision are only achievable through the generosity of its donors and dedication of its many volunteers. Thank you for all you do for Camp Able! Together we are making a difference.
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