JACKSON, WY — If Kari Hall didn’t have horses in her life, she might not be alive at all.
“It sounds dramatic, but it’s true.”
Horses saved her from a difficult childhood. The connection Hall feels to horses is powerful and healing. And it’s now her mission to make that connection available to anyone who needs it.
Hall owns and operates Bright Star Riding, an equestrian education program and facility south of Jackson just south of Jackson. She offers lessons, summer camps, clinics, schooling shows, and adult riding programs. She’s been in business for about four years now, but as an LLC. At Old Bill’s Fun Run in September, Bright Star Riding will be one of the new nonprofits on the scene.
“Horseback riding has a stigma that it’s for an elite group of people,” Hall said. For one, it’s expensive. Horses cost money, not just to buy but also to care for. So to become a horseback rider, you typically either have to have enough money to own a horse, or know somebody with a horse. That’s a lot to ask of a curious kid who just wants to try something new.
“I want to take out that expectation of a full-on, lifelong commitment, and the costs associated with it,” Hall said.
As a nonprofit, Hall will be able to offer the same lessons and up-close, hands-on experience with horses, at a lower cost. Bright Star is home to nine horses, mostly Mustangs, whose sole job is to teach people to ride and love them. Hall does not intend to make perfect equestrians out of all of her students. Instead, she wants them to feel safe and comfortable around horses, understand how to communicate with the animals, and feel the “trust and honesty” that horses offer their riders. “I want to be the instructor that my students trust because I’m giving them the right information and building a relationship that is honest, encouraging, and reliable,” Hall said.
When Hall first talked to Buckrail in early May, she was also preparing for the opening night of “I Can Ski 4Ever.” She did not miss the irony of talking about her new nonprofit while starring in a play that made ruthless jokes about the sheer volume of nonprofits in Jackson. But despite the popularity and sheer iconic value of horses in Jackson, there’s no nonprofit like hers in Jackson, Hall said. Plus, the rate her program has grown organically — from fewer than a dozen students four years ago to close to 70 today — proves that there’s “clearly a need.”
“There’s this community around [horses] that dissipated and disconnected,” Hall said.
Hall is still waiting for her official 501c3 status approval but is working closely with the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole to keep her vision and direction in line. “We just want to make our debut that we are here for the community. We’re here to be inclusive, and make [horses] accessible.”
Hall still has the first horse she ever owned — the one that saved her as a 12-year-old kid.
“We take care of each other, and we prove it time and time again,” Hall said. “She was the first creature that really provided for me… The power of that healing, that connection and trust and honestly that horses give, it was just so reassuring. I really want that to be available for everyone.”
Bright Star Riding’s first fundraising effort as a nonprofit is a Tack Swap today, May 25, at the Teton County Fair building from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Email Kari at brightstarriding@gmail.com to learn more.
