Since it was founded in 1976, Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Redmond has worked to improve the bodies, minds and spirits of people with disabilities through equine-assisted therapies and activities.

The nonprofit does this through two programs.

The first program is adaptive riding, which focuses on increasing individual riding skills while gaining a therapeutic benefit. According to the Little Bit website, adaptive riding helps improve physical strength, muscle tone, balance, mobility and hand-eye coordination.

“The more subtle improvements are fortified self-esteem, self-control and self-confidence,” the website states. “Peer interaction and social skills are also developed in this unique classroom setting.”

Little Bit’s second program is hippotherapy. According to its website, Little Bit provides occupational, speech and physical therapy. This takes place on the back of a horse, in an onsite treatment room and the natural environment of the barn.

“Equine-assisted therapy is treatment that incorporates equine activities and/or the equine environment,” the website states. “Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes.”

While these sessions can be expensive, executive director Jeff Nomura said the nonprofit has found ways to subsidize and keep costs down for clients.

One of those ways is through their roughly 1,000 volunteers who help support the programs and maintain the facilities. Another way is through private donations.

A significant amount of those donations come from the nonprofit’s annual auction, Reins of Life. The auction fundraiser, which is Saturday, is in its 31st year.

Jenny Metz, special events manager for Little Bit, said the event brings in an average of about $400,000 each year and their goal this year is to raise $450,000.

“It goes toward our programs for riders and patients,” she said about the funds.

This year’s theme for the auction is “Denim & Diamonds” and the dress code is cowboy formal (rhinestone buckles optional). The event will have both a silent and live auction and feature auctioneer David Silverman for the latter.

The event begins at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue (900 Bellevue Way N.E. in Bellevue).

Metz said some of the auction items people will be able to bid on include Beyonce concert tickets, Seahawks tickets, wine and wine tastings, local hotel stays as well as trips to locations such as Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.

“It’s a really fun evening,” she said.

Metz said the auction is a great night and can serve as a great introduction into Little Bit for those who want to learn more about the organization, who they serve and what they do.

Nomura said thanks to donations as well as the volunteers, Little Bit clients typically only pay about 31 percent of the cost for hippotherapy or $125 per session, compared to $398. For adaptive riding, they only pay about 18 percent, or $50 per session, compared to $275.

Before moving into its current location at 18675 N.E. 106th St. in Redmond about three years ago, Little Bit was located in Woodinville.

Nomura said they went from a four-acre site to their current almost 18-acre site, which had some renovations and additions built before they moved onto the site. The Redmond location — Dunmire Stables — had previously been a racing stable and there was already an enclosed arena, track and outdoor arena onsite. Nomura said one of the things Little Bit had built before they moved in was a welcome center and office building.

As previously reported, the organization moved to Redmond to expand to be able to serve more participants.

Nomura said this is their current focus as they work to to increase their infrastructure (horses, therapists and program volunteers). Little Bit current has 23 horses an their goal is to increase it by 2-3 horses each year.