"Transformative" and "life changing" are two words used by Shelley Trumbly, owner and founder of Solid Ground, to describe the impact her equine-assisted services center has had on the many people it serves.
Shelley's Story
Trumbly grew up on her family's 110-acre family cattle and hay ranch south of Klamath Falls — showing and riding paint horses before going on to become a registered nurse.
Even though Shelley remains working as an RN in healthcare, she had never heard of equine-assisted therapy services until 2016.
It was, and is, a growing industry.
What Equine-Assisted Services Are
Equine-assisted services are composed of programs where professionals guide clients through activities with horses.
These services can help individuals build:
- Confidence
- Communication
- Trust
- Social skills
- Impulse control
It can also help to lessen or alleviate:
- Anxiety
- Helping define boundaries
- Balance stress and depression
Sometimes, according to Shelley, it is for a student whose purpose is simply:
"I need more confidence."
Or:
"I want to be able to have better social interactions."
Who Solid Ground Serves
There is no requirement to have any specific medical diagnosis to participate in equine-assisted services.
Solid Ground provides services ranging from therapeutic riding to equine-assisted therapy involving a licensed therapist.
It has the privilege of serving:
- Children
- At-risk youth
- Veterans
- Seniors
- Those who face mental-health challenges
Individuals with autism, MS, and cerebral palsy have also made significant strides using equine-assisted services.
The 501(c)(3) Name and Origin
Solid Ground's officially registered 501(c)(3) name is Solid Ground Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy Center — named after the premise in the Bible's Psalms.
The "solid ground" reference invokes spiritual stability, foundational support, and the unshakable platform from which growth becomes possible — exactly what the program aims to give its participants.
How Horses Help
For people unfamiliar with equine therapy, the question is reasonable: why horses specifically?
A few of the reasons:
1. Emotional Mirroring
Horses are prey animals that survive by reading their environment — including the emotional states of the humans around them. A horse will react differently to a calm, centered person than to an anxious, dysregulated one. That feedback gives the human an immediate, honest mirror of their internal state.
2. Nonverbal Communication
Communication with a horse is mostly nonverbal — body position, tone, touch, breathing. For people who have struggled with verbal communication or social skills, working with a horse provides a way to practice connection without the pressure of words.
3. Trust-Building
Horses are large, powerful animals. Building trust with one — to the point where you can ride, lead, or care for the horse — requires earning that trust through consistent, calm behavior. That experience translates to human relationships.
4. Embodied Presence
Working with horses requires being fully present in your body. People struggling with dissociation, anxiety, or hyper-vigilance find that horse work helps them re-inhabit their physical experience in healthy ways.
5. Joy
Most importantly — being around horses is joyful for most people. The smell of the barn, the feel of brushing a coat, the sight of a horse moving across a pasture — these are experiences that produce simple, accessible delight.
Programs and Services
Solid Ground offers a range of services:
- Therapeutic riding — guided riding sessions for participants
- Equine-assisted therapy — involving a licensed therapist alongside the equine work
- Ground work — non-riding activities that build relationship with the horse
- Adaptive riding — for participants who need special equipment to meet their needs
The center serves participants of all ages and abilities — from young children to seniors.
Volunteer Opportunities
For Klamath Basin residents who want to help:
For those comfortable with horses:
- Help with horse care — feeding, grooming, daily handling
- Assist with riding programs — helping participants mount, supporting sessions
- Ranch management — gain experience while contributing
For those not comfortable with horses:
- Watering the flowers
- Providing cookies and lemonade for participants and families
- Organizing the barn and tack
- Administrative support
- Event volunteering
There's a place at Solid Ground for every kind of volunteer.
Current Initiative — Wheelchair Lift
Shelley's dreams and plans continue to flourish. No idea is too big or way to serve others is too insurmountable for this terrific lady.
Whether it be:
- Collaborating with senior citizens from Pelican Pointe Memory Care
- Children of incarcerated parents
- Families from hospice who have lost a loved one
- Adaptive riders (those who need special equipment to meet their needs)
— all are welcome in this amazing safe space.
How to Help — Wheelchair Lift Campaign
Currently there is an ongoing campaign to buy a special lift to assist wheelchair-bound individuals get on the horses.
If this is a cause that speaks to your heart, there is a "Donate" button on their website: solidgroundkf.org.
Visit and Connect
If you would like to learn more about this worthwhile organization, feel free to call Shelley Trumbly at (541) 891-9462.
Her stories of hope and the life-changing transformations she has witnessed through equine-assisted services will inspire you — and might ignite your interest in visiting Solid Ground, located at:
630 Griffith Lane, Klamath Falls
For Klamath Basin families with a child, parent, veteran, or loved one who might benefit from equine therapy — Solid Ground is the call to make.
For community members with capacity to donate, volunteer, or spread the word — Shelley needs you.
The horses are waiting. Come meet them.