• Horseback Riding

• Meets ADA standards
• Accessible areas of building: Stable, riding arena, office

• Staff Training: NARHA Certified Instructor
• Staff Certification:NARHA Certified Instructor, CPR, First Aid

• Adaptive equipment available
  Mounting Block and Ramp, Specialty adaptive riding equipment

• Fee to participate in the Program : Lessons are 1 hour in length with 8 lessons per Session. Sessions are $ 240.00

• Accessible by Public Transportation: No
  
  
• Transportation Provided by the Program: No

LONG BRANCH Historic House and Farm has opened a Therapeutic Riding Center (TRC) nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Millwood, Virginia. The Therapeutic Riding Center (TRC) at LONG BRANCH is now registering students for its summer session and training volunteers. Classes will be held once a week for approximately one hour.

Instruction will be provided by Clarke County native, Ms. Christie Rankin. Ms. Rankin is certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NAHRA) to teach riding to children and adults with disabilities. She is uniquely trained to develop a lesson plan catered to the individual�s physical, emotional and mental strengths and challenges. In addition, Ms. Rankin has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Georgia State University.

Ms. Rankin explained the �benefits of therapeutic riding include increased muscle tone, strength, increased hand/eye coordination, increased communication skills, better self-esteem, less anxiety and improved social interactions.�

While the initial focus of the center will address the special needs of children in the community, the center hopes to expand to offer services to adults and more specifically, veterans groups. In addition to riding, horses are used in a variety of therapeutic settings: occupational, physical and psychological. The possibilities to help people with special needs in Millwood and surrounding communities are tremendous.