Meadows Center
for Equine Connection
Meadows Center for Equine Connection (MCEC), formerly known as Rainy Day Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center, is a non profit organization located in Olympia, WA. Rainy Day Ranch was originally inspired by Ella, a local girl with Rett syndrome. After witnessing the profound physical and emotional benefits horses had for Ella, her parents were moved to help more children and adults in the community access equine-assisted experiences.
As local programs shifted and some services became less available, a growing need for therapeutic riding emerged in our community. Rainy Day Ranch was founded to meet that need by offering horse-centered experiences to individuals with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities and challenges.
In 2026, Rainy Day Ranch officially evolved into Meadows Center for Equine Connection. This change reflected not only a new name, but a deepening and widening of the organization’s vision. While honoring its roots in therapeutic riding, Meadows was created as a space for people to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and build meaningful, reciprocal relationships with horses. The word “Meadows” speaks to openness, spaciousness, and room to breathe. We foster an environment where growth is not rushed and presence matters more than performance.
Today, MCEC builds on this foundation by offering both individual and group experiences that center attunement, inclusivity, and connection across differences. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes or progress, our work invites participants into a shared field of relationship with horses, where learning unfolds through trust, curiosity, and mutual respect.
We believe in the healing power of horses, and we want to share that with our community!
Meadows Center for Equine Connection is situated on the ancestral lands of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes, Squaxin tribe, Stl’pulmsh (Cowlitz) tribe, and the Nisqually tribe, who have inhabited this land since time immemorial, and continue to do so today. At Meadows, we strive to foster a deep and reverent relationship with the land, while also acknowledging the fact that the land we occupy has been dispossessed from its true stewards.
