Thirty Years of Quiet,
Consequential Work
Every number represents a real person in the equestrian community who received help when they needed it most.
in direct grant support to equestrian professionals across America
served — every discipline, every profession, no exceptions
of uninterrupted service — no gaps, no pauses, no exceptions
These Numbers Are Not Marketing Copy. They Are an Accounting of a Life's Work.
The Equestrian Aid Foundation has provided over $4.3 million in direct grant support to people from all corners of the horse world — breeders, farriers, grooms, riders, trainers — who have had to cope with catastrophic injuries, life-threatening illness, and other unforeseen crises.
EAF has assisted equestrian community members in 46 states across America. The support crosses disciplines, experience levels, and economic backgrounds — because crisis does not discriminate, and neither does EAF.
In 2024 alone:
- 23 medical crisis grants to individual recipients
- 16+ disciplines and occupations represented
- 5 nonprofit partners activated for disaster response
- 65+ individual disaster grants — Hurricanes Helene & Milton, 2025 LA Wildfires
"EAF completely changed my life at a time when I was injured, scared and unsure of what the future held. They were incredibly wonderful and warm to work with and provided me with a grant that gave me the ability to focus on healing."
— E.H., dressage rider
Financial Accountability:
An Entire Industry Showing Up for Itself, Year after Year
From the show ring to the starting line, from charity auctions to barn-side fundraisers — thirty years of evidence that when the equestrian world is called upon, it answers. Consistently, creatively, and in force.
EAF Grooms Class
Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show — Blowing Rock, NC
Now in its tenth consecutive year, the EAF Grooms Class at Blowing Rock honors the professionals who keep the sport running — the early risers, the quiet hands, the skilled workers who make every round possible. Named champions across the years have included Aguilar, Tamayo/Villanueva, Carmona/Ramirez, Ramos/Lopez, Ramirez/Viva Mas, Vega, and Castillo. This is not a charity consolation; it is recognition that the sport's best hands deserve the ring, too.
Recent champions:
Strides for Hope 5K
Wellington, Florida — Annual Winter Circuit
What began as a community walk/run has become EAF's most powerful annual fundraising event. Trainers, grooms, riders, and families move forward together — stride by stride — for those who need a hand. The inaugural year saw Pugliese and Romond top the field. The Meyers ran a photo finish in year two. Year after year, the community returns and the numbers climb.
More Community Efforts
The equestrian community's generosity extends far beyond signature events. Some of the most creative fundraisers have come from individuals who saw a need and invented a solution.
Paddock Master Pruning
An innovative barn-industry fundraiser that raised over $15,000 to bring relief to horsemen in the heartland — proving no effort is too unconventional in the name of mutual aid.
Clip-a-Thon
Groomers and barn professionals united their skills to benefit EAF's COVID Relief Fund — turning a pandemic crisis into an act of collective and creative action for the whole industry.
Clinics for a Cause
Trainers donated their time and expertise to EAF's Disaster Relief Fund — turning everyday instruction into meaningful relief for equestrians in crisis across the country.
Great Charity Challenge 2021
EAF was selected for the 2021 Great Charity Challenge: COVID Relief & Recovery Edition — bringing competitive philanthropy to the Winter Equestrian Festival community.
Disaster Relief Activations
When crisis hits the equestrian community at scale, EAF activates. The Disaster Relief Fund exists precisely for these moments — rapid mobilization, direct grants, no bureaucratic delay between the disaster and the door.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Barns shuttered. Shows cancelled. Income evaporated overnight. EAF rapidly processed COVID-19 relief grants for equestrian industry professionals — including a dedicated Palm Beach County COVID Recovery Grant for workers in the winter circuit's epicenter.
Hurricane Ian Relief
Hurricane Ian devastated communities across Florida and the Southeast. EAF's Disaster Relief Fund was activated immediately — delivering emergency grants to equestrian professionals whose livelihoods were inseparable from horses that could not simply be relocated or replaced.
California Wildfires & Hurricanes Helene & Milton
Three separate activations in the same cycle. Partnering with 5 nonprofit organizations, EAF delivered over 65 individual grants — from the Los Angeles basin to the Carolina mountains.
Honoring Those Who Carry the Community Forward Quietly
Some contributions to the equestrian world show up in prize tallies and fundraising records. Others happen in the background — organizing, advocating, sustaining — for years before anyone thinks to say thank you. The Luminary Award is EAF's way of saying it.
Luminary Award Recipient
Jacquie McCutchan
Jacquie McCutchan was honored with the 2020 Equestrian Aid Foundation Luminary Award in recognition of her tireless dedication to the equestrian community and to the professionals whose lives she has helped sustain. The award recognizes individuals whose contributions exemplify the spirit of service that EAF was built upon — people who show up, year after year, for the community they love.
The Luminary Award program honors individuals who illuminate the path forward for the equestrian community — through advocacy, direct service, or the quiet, consistent work of making sure that nobody who has given their life to horses is left behind when crisis arrives.
Learn About the Luminary AwardThe Luminary Award recognizes the quiet heroes of the equestrian community — those whose dedication to service defines what EAF stands for.
Recognition at Monmouth at the Team
The equestrian community has formally honored EAF's work and the service of its supporters at some of the sport's most prestigious venues — including recognition at Monmouth at the Team that affirmed EAF's place in the fabric of the industry.
EAF Honored at Monmouth at the Team
The equestrian community formally recognized EAF's thirty years of service at Monmouth at the Team — one of the sport's most storied venues — affirming that EAF's mission is woven into the fabric of the industry.
Spirit of Service Awards
EAF presented Spirit of Service Awards to equestrian community leaders at Monmouth at the Team — celebrating the individuals who embody the foundation's values of compassion, accountability, and long-term commitment to the community.
Together, We Create Our Impact
Everybody who has ever been involved with horses can relate to EAF's mission. We share a passion for our large and often unpredictable equine companions. The grant recipients' stories are all of our stories — equestrians who have faced their challenges and rebuilt their lives with the support of this community.
The 2024 Final Impact Report documents EAF's most recent year of service in full detail — every grant, every program, every activation. It is the clearest accounting of what your support makes possible.
$4.3M+
in direct grant support since founding
46
states reached across America
30+
years of uninterrupted service