The Temple Grandin Equine Center is Colorado State University’s initiative that integrates research and education in equine-assisted services. There are two locations of the TGEC: CSU in Fort Collins and CSU Spur.
The TGEC’s mission is to help advance, sustain, and promote the horse’s role in society and the EAS industry while monitoring and enhancing animal welfare. EAS includes utilizing the horse and the equine environment for the betterment of individuals with all types of abilities and disabilities.
TGEC’s programming is for the betterment of horses and humans alike. It’s a place where individuals with special challenges heal, therapists treat, instructors teach, students learn, scientists research, and horses are studied, cared for, and advanced. Programming includes:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Mental health counseling
- Adaptive horsemanship and therapeutic riding
- Equine facilitated learning
The Temple Grandin Equine Center at CSU Spur offers equine-assisted services to prescheduled clients. Sessions typically run Mondays-Fridays; check the CSU Spur calendar for exact times.
Many client sessions and horse arena time may be observed by the public; however, sessions are subject to delayed starts, early endings, or cancellations, depending on the needs of the client. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding of last-minute changes to the schedule.
A Gift Horse
She arrived at the horse barn like many little girls – wearing jeans and canvas sneakers, her curly blonde hair neatly plaited. But Laura Fischer came in a wheelchair, her 7-year-old frame held in place with black nylon straps. For her, horseback riding is not merely recreation. It is therapy, designed to improve her muscle strength and movement, which are severely impaired by a rare genetic disorder.
Laura’s disorder also inhibits her speech: She can utter sounds, but not words. So, as she recently waited to ride a Welsh pony named Bond, Laura used an assistive communication device to express herself. Unprompted, she tapped a sensor with her temple and picked a word to display on a computer tablet. “Like.”
We need your help
Volunteers are integral to providing TGEC services and programming; they assist with horse care, facility care, sidewalking and leading horses in appointments, event planning and fundraising, and more.
Contact us
Email the Temple Grandin Equine Center at [email protected] with any questions.
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (June 13), and this month, the theme is Eco Explorers. Discover the connections between plants, animals, water, and people through hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, opportunities to connect with community partners, the Market at the Center, and more!
