Therapeutic riding makes a difference and changes lives! For people with disabilities and those who are at risk, the horse and its environment can provide unique healing and learning experiences. Under the watchful eye of a certified instructor, trained volunteers, educators and health care professionals, a student's interaction with a horse can be therapeutic as well as a fun and freeing experience.
Unlike most therapies, therapeutic riding is fun. It also produces results. Some of the benefits one can expect:
Physical...
- Improved coordination and muscle tone
- Improved posture and balance
- Improved gross and fine motor skills
- Increased range of motion
Cognitive...
- Improved attention and concentration
- Improved sequencing and planning
- Improved flexibility in thinking
- Improved judgement
Psycho-Social...
- Increased self confidence and self-control
- Increased understanding of consequences
- Improved social interactions
- Increased empathy and empowerment
Finally, new friends are made, both human and animal.
Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship (BRCTH) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization which was founded in 2006 to serve persons with disabling conditions in the northern Shenandoah Valley. We are a member operating center of the Therapeutic Riding Association of VA (TRAV) and of NARHA which provides operating and accreditation standards, and certification for therapeutic riding instructors.
BRCTH funds its operations through individual and corporate in-kind and monetary donations, civic and foundation grants, fundraising events and student tuition. At the present time, BRCTH is an all-volunteer organization, including all administration, management and instructor staff.
The Center provides programming for individuals with disabilities and those who are "at risk". We serve adults and children from age five. In order to provide these services to the community, we rely upon a dedicated team of volunteers.
Our operations are currently based in Boyce, Clarke County, VA. Our wonderful herd of four equines includes Bluesman, a black quarterhorse, Max, a chestnut Thoroughbred/Hanoverian, Rusty Raindrop, a white Pony of the Americas, and Skipper, a Welsh cross pony.
Co-Directors and Instructors, Marjorie Youngs and Peggy Johns-Shiflett, are NARHA certified Advanced Instructors, and have been involved in the therapeutic riding industry for a combined 35 years.
BRCTH offers 8-week sessions in the fall and spring, and may offer a one-week summer day camp in 2010. We currently operate without access to an indoor arena, so lessons are somewhat weather-limited.
All students are initially taught individually, and may, if appropriate, be later paired with another student in a semi-private lesson. Lessons include, when appropriate, grooming and basic horse care in addition to riding skills. Lesson plans are individualized for each student, instruction is sequential and often presented in game format.
The tuition for the 8-week session is $320. We offer partial scholarships for families who require such assistance. A $100 deposit (with $220 balance then due) must be received before we can hold a place on the roster for you or your child.
BRCTH intends to expand our services to include school and group home programs and community service opportunities for at-risk youth, while continuing to increase the numbers of students who are individually referred for services. Please contact us, or pass along our contact information, if you know of an aforementioned entity that could benefit from our services.
