Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program
WISH LIST: $100: 12 bags of feed for the horses; $500: a new saddle that fits riders and keeps horses pain-free; $1000: subsidized riding lessons for 7 riders for 1 month
At Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, learning to ride, and caring for a horse, not only improves the physical health of the rider but also generates a critically important sense of accomplishment. Riders represent a range of disabilities: attention deficit disorder, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, mental retardation, vision and hearing impairments, and genetic syndromes. Leaving wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and fears behind, they learn to ride – the horse’s soothing rhythm and three-dimensional movement providing exercise while improving circulation and muscle tone, and improving posture, balance, and mobility. The discipline created by working with horses, and the social interaction among classmates and volunteers, increases self-esteem and self-sufficiency. A fire in July destroyed the leased barn and all riding equipment, so lessons were temporarily suspended. Building a permanent home, and replacing all tack, equipment, and feed, are now the top priorities – because for many participants, riding is the one opportunity they have to get out on their own and feel free. Catalogue donors, you can step into the breach.
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