Equine

Books and taxes for equine-assisted therapy providers.

Private-pay sessions, a restricted grant, sliding-scale fees, and the cost of keeping a therapy horse ready for clients. Gus sorts every payment as it lands, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number each month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
SeptemberExample month
$6,500
what you made

September came in at $6,500. A restricted grant for Willow's retirement fund landed this month, and I kept it separate from session fees so you can show it went where it was meant to.

  • Square session feesPrivate pay session fees
  • Meadowlark Foundation grantGrant funding
  • Tractor Supply hay and feedTherapy horse care
  • Meadowview Equine ClinicTherapy horse care
  • Annual liability premiumLiability insurance
Money in$24,000
Money out$17,500
Set aside for taxes$1,300
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An equine therapy program's books go wrong when grant money and session fees blur together.

A generalist sees a deposit and calls it income. Your program runs on private-pay sessions, sliding-scale fees, restricted grants, and horses who need a year of training before they can safely work with clients. When the books do not know the difference, you cannot show a funder where their money went, or what your herd actually costs to keep ready.

  1. 1

    Restricted grants get mixed with session fees

    A grant earmarked for a new therapy horse or a wheelchair ramp looks just like a regular deposit if it lands in the same bucket as private-pay session fees, and then there is no way to show the money was used the way the funder intended.

    What we doKeeps restricted grant money in its own category from the day it arrives, so you can show exactly where it went if a funder ever asks.
  2. 2

    A sliding-scale fee gets booked at the wrong amount

    When a family pays a reduced rate for a session, booking the full list price as income overstates what the program actually took in and can throw off what you owe.

    What we doBooks the amount that actually landed in the account, not the list price, so income reflects what really came in.
  3. 3

    A retiring therapy horse looks like just another expense

    A specially trained therapy horse nearing retirement needs a successor that takes a year or more of training before it can safely work with clients, and if that training cost gets buried in routine horse care, you cannot see what building a new therapy horse really costs.

    What we doFlags the costs of bringing a new horse into the program separately from routine care, so you can see the real cost of keeping the herd ready.
  4. 4

    Volunteer program costs disappear into supplies

    Background checks, training materials, and volunteer appreciation events cost real money even though the volunteers themselves are unpaid, and lumped into general supplies you cannot see what running the volunteer program actually costs.

    What we doKeeps volunteer program costs in their own line, separate from horse care and general supplies.
  5. 5

    Insurance reimbursements land weeks after the session

    On the rare session billed through insurance, the payment often arrives long after the visit, and counting it in the month it lands instead of the month it was earned can make two months look wrong instead of one right.

    What we doMatches insurance reimbursements back to the month the session happened, so the timing does not confuse a good month for a bad one.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an equine-assisted therapy program.

Set up once for how sessions, grants, and donations reach you. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Private pay session feesSessions billed directly to families at full or sliding-scale rates.
  • Insurance reimbursementsThe rare session billed through a client's insurance.
  • Grant fundingRestricted and unrestricted grants from foundations or community organizations.
  • Fundraising and donationsCommunity events and individual gifts that support the program.
  • Group and school program feesContracts with schools or agencies bringing groups of clients.

Money out

  • Therapy horse careFeed, farrier, and vet care held to a higher standard for horses working with clients.
  • New horse trainingThe year or more of specialized training a successor horse needs before working with clients.
  • Volunteer program costsBackground checks, training materials, and appreciation events.
  • Liability insuranceCoverage reflecting a client population that includes children and people with disabilities.
  • Facility and arena upkeepRamps, mounting blocks, and accessible footing.
  • Instructor and therapist certificationCredentialing through a recognized equine therapy certifying organization.
  • Barn laborBarn help and program staff wages.

What we watch for you

  • Session cost per client

    What it actually costs to run one session, so sliding-scale pricing stays sustainable.

  • Grant restriction balance

    How much restricted grant money is still unspent, so it does not get treated as general income.

  • Therapy horse readiness

    What the herd's care and training actually cost, so a horse's retirement is planned for, not a surprise.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.

Ask Gus

Things equine therapy program owners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

We got a $5,000 grant earmarked for a new therapy horse. Does that count the same as session fees?

No. I keep it in its own category from the day it lands, so you can show exactly where it went if the funder ever asks.

One family pays a sliding-scale rate instead of our full fee. How does that show up?

At what they actually paid, not the full list price. That keeps your income honest and your set-aside based on real numbers.

We're bringing a new horse into the program, and he needs a year of training before he can work with clients. Is that just a horse care expense?

I keep it separate from routine care so you can see what building a new therapy horse actually costs, not just what feeding him costs.

The tax side

The tax side of an equine-assisted therapy program.

Most of what goes wrong here is keeping restricted money restricted and knowing what a therapy horse and its training really cost.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Restricted versus unrestricted fundsGrant money given for a specific purpose, like a new horse or a ramp, needs to be tracked separately from general session income so you can show it was spent as intended.
  • Depreciation on therapy horses and equipmentA horse bought and trained specifically for therapy work is usually a business asset, and mounting ramps, lifts, or specialized tack can often be written off under Section 179 or bonus depreciation in the year they are bought.
  • Self-employment tax on program profitAn owner taking profit as a sole proprietor or through a pass-through pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Contractor 1099s for instructors and specialistsAnyone paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who works with the program but is not on payroll, such as an outside occupational therapist, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

Deductions equine-assisted therapy providers miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Therapy horse feed and care
  • Farrier and vet care for the herd
  • Liability insurance
  • Volunteer background checks
  • Volunteer training materials
  • Mounting ramps and adaptive equipment
  • Instructor and therapist certification
  • Facility and arena upkeep
  • Barn labor and program staff wages
  • Advertising and website
  • Phone and scheduling software
  • Continuing education

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

An equine therapy program's year, kept every month.

Grant cycles, school-year sessions, and a herd that needs steady care do not follow the tax calendar. Gus keeps both straight. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for outside specialists gets built, and a monthly set-aside is planned.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering it.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand at midyear, and whether a spring grant or fundraiser changed what you will owe.

  4. October

    Before winter slowdown

    A look at herd needs and equipment worth buying before December, ahead of any winter drop in sessions.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for equine-assisted therapy providers. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions equine therapy program owners ask first.

We received a grant earmarked for a specific purpose. Does Gus track that separately?

Yes. Restricted grant money is kept in its own category from the day it lands, so you can show it was spent the way the funder intended.

Some families pay a reduced, sliding-scale rate. Does that confuse the books?

No. Gus books what actually landed in the account, not your full list price, so your income and set-aside reflect real numbers.

One of our therapy horses is nearing retirement and we're training a successor. How does that show up?

Gus keeps the new horse's training costs separate from routine herd care, so you can see what building a therapy horse actually costs before he starts working with clients.

Our volunteers aren't paid, but running the program still costs money. Does that count?

Yes. Background checks, training materials, and appreciation events are real costs, and Gus keeps them visible in their own category instead of buried in general supplies.

Do you handle grant applications or nonprofit filings?

No. Your team keeps your books clean and your restricted funds tracked, but applying for grants or filing nonprofit paperwork stays with you or your board.

Our books are behind because we've been focused on the program, not the paperwork. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most programs know where they stand within a week.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

More in equine

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Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever