Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program

Golf Tournament to Benefit NVTRP-September 23, 2011

nvtrp — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:04:37 +0000

Visit

www.nvtrp.org/golf

to sign up to

PLAY or SPONSOR

the tournament

SPONSOR A HOLE

Have your company name or family name on signage at one of the holes on the course the day of the tournament for $100

CLICK HERE

Additional sponsorship options are available at www.nvtrp.org/golf

Questions?

Please contact us at

703.764.0269 or

info@nvtrp.org

Play in the tournament or sponsor a hole for only $100!

Spread the word!

Where: Pleasant Vally Golf Course Chantilly, VA

http://www.pleasantvalleygc.com

When: Friday September 23rd, 2011

What: Four Man Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament

Cost: $100 per person ($400 per foursome)

Includes: Food and Awards Banquet, Raffle and Tournament Awards, and Adult Beverages

Why: To help NVTRP continue to enrich the lives of children and adults with disabilities, youth at risk, military service personnel and their families through the power of the horse. Money raised from this tournament will go towards securing a permanent home for NVTRP at Little Full Cry Farm.

To Sign Up: Visit http://www.nvtrp.org/golf or mail payment and contact information to

NVTRP

PO Box 184

Clifton, VA 20124

PLEASE forward this to your friends and family!

Saddles and Sun Horsemanship Camp-Aug 15-19th!

nvtrp — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:09:25 +0000

Saddles and Sun Horsemanship Summer Camp

August 15-19th 9-1pm daily Ages 7-17

Come join our Fairfax County Beginner/Intermediate Horsemanship Camp!

***This camp is part of our Community Lesson Program for Able-Bodied Riders that do not require any sidewalkers.

For Beginner Riders: learn basic horsemanship skills including leading, grooming, tacking and horse care. Riding lessons cover mounting, halting, steering, jump position and beginning trotting. Also includes horsemanship clinics, art projects and games.

For Intermediate Riders: learn advanced horsemanship skills including Equine nutrition, basic 1st aid, natural horsemanship and saddle fitting. Riding lessons cover ring etiquette, half-halts, smooth transitions and ring figures.

http://parktakes.fairfaxcounty.gov/rev1_quickresult.asp?subject=Horseback+Riding+Camp%288-16y%29Beginnr%2FIntm&facility2=R566&age=9999&day=9999&view_records=SEARCH+SCHEDULE

After you register go to our website http://www.nvtrp.org/forms/riderforms.pdf to download all forms; we will need to receive them before riders arrive at camp.

Please forward along to all your friends!

Thank you!

Olivia Taylor

NVTRP Intern

80′s Night on July 30th & Outdoor Movie Night on July 23rd

nvtrp — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:32:11 +0000

80′s Night Fundraiser

THIS Sat 7/30 8pm

Get our your leg warmers, big bangs, and neon colors— it’s time to play tribute to the 80′s! Live 80′s music, prizes for Best Dressed and Biggest Hair, raffle prizes, drink specials, and more!

A $10 suggested donation as cover charge at the door. 21 and up only

Where: McMahon’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Outdoor Movie Night

Saturday, July 23rd

7pm Gates Open

Bring your blanket or chair and ‘reserve’ your spot in the pasture for the movie showing. Festivities include: outdoor games, a raffle with great prizes including a massage, movie theater tickets, restaurant gift certificates, and more.

8:30pm Apple Juice Toast to Breeana & the movie Dreamer will begin.

Snacks and drinks will be for sale. Popcorn for the movie is included with admission.

Get your tickets!

*$5 if you purchase TODAY

AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE

*$7 at the gate on Saturday

The Movie: Dreamer

Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Elisabeth Shue, Luis Guzman. Dream Works Pictures; Directed by John Gatins. Rated PG; 102 minutes

Ben Crane was once a great horse trainer who is handed his walking papers when his best horse breaks a leg. It will take the unwavering faith of Ben’s young daughter to bring both souls back to their lost glory in a seemlying impossible goal – to win the Breeder’s Cup Classic.

BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE OR MAKE A DONATION IN HONOR OF BREEANA’S 10 Year Anniversary with NVTRP by clicking HERE

Congratulations to Breeana-10 years of Service with NVTRP!

nvtrp — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:55:49 +0000

Celebrating Breeana’s 10 Year Anniversary with NVTRP!!!

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Breeana Bornhorst on her years of service and amazing contributions to NVTRP. We are so grateful!

Three cheers for Breeana!

Breeana graduated from St. Andrews Presbyterian College with a BA in Therapeutic Riding and came to work at a small therapeutic riding program with two horses, fifteen riders and limited volunteers. This was NVTRP 10 years ago! Breeana’s knowledge and dedication served to energize this program into one with twelve horses, over 90 riders per week, a database of over 900 volunteers, and expanded services to include hippotherapy and lessons for youth-at-risk and recovering military service personnel! Wow.

Breeana not only dedicates herself to NVTRP, but also contributes her skills to the therapeutic riding and equine industries as a whole. She was certified in 2003 by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) as a Master Level Instructor (the highest certification level an instructor can achieve). She has served on the Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia Board of Directors, is a NARHA Instructor Certification Evaluator, and NARHA Accreditation Site Visitor. Through the years, she has helped train and get certified nine of NVTRP’s very own instructors. She also currently serves as the Chair of the Fairfax County Equestrian Task Force.

As an instructor, she is able to teach an effective and fun lesson to any rider. She teaches excellent lessons for riders with a wide range of cognitive and physical disabilities, from those who need three volunteers and are working on their sitting balance to riders who are learning dressage and jumping. She is kind yet firm and uses her creativity to keep things exciting. We have seen her teach lessons where the cones that the riders were weaving were active lava volcanoes rather than just boring old cones!

Breeana’s passion is contagious. She has touched the lives of countless volunteers, riders and their families, and her peers through her amazing work. Through her leadership, NVTRP is now at this exciting brink, working to purchase Little Full Cry Farm to finally create a permanent home for NVTRP. With this permanent home, NVTRP will continue to expand its services and will be a place for people of ALL abilities to belong and dare to reach the unattainable.

To make a donation in honor of Breeana or to buy your tickets for the Outdoor Movie Celebration please click HERE.

Saddles and Sun Riding Camp

nvtrp — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:40:52 +0000

NVTRP is excited to invite you to join us for our Saddles and Sun Riding Camp this summer!

It runs from July 18th to the 22nd, 9AM-1PM.

Campers will ride everyday as well as learn basic horsemanship skills, and do horsey crafts and activities.

Make sure you sign up soon as we have a limited number of spots!

Click the link below for more information/registration form:

http://www.nvtrp.org/saddlesandsun.pdf

Please be advised you do not have to be a current NVTRP rider to register. If you know someone who would be interested in attending, plase have them contact us for registraion information.

If you have any questions please reply or call (703)764-0269

We look forward to seeing everyone at camp!

Our precious Josh is retiring…wish him luck!

nvtrp — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:48:58 +0000

Dear Friends,

Josh has been a part of our team for quite a few years and we are grateful for the many lives he has touched during that time. He has been fabulous for our newly independent riders, our riders who are timid and need a horse who is slow and steady, and especially our riders who are more advanced.

Josh has served his riders well and is now ready to retire. While we are very sad to see him go, we are also glad that he will be going back to his previous owner, who will take fantastic care of him.

We are having an open house tomorrow, Saturday, from 1pm to 3pm at Full Cry Farm for everyone to say goodbye. You can take a picture with Josh, have a little carrot cake and celebrate his time with us. Just stop by anytime during the open house!

Best Wishes,

The NVTRP Staff

P.S. Josh wrote a goodbye letter. We have included an excerpt below and a link to his entire letter.

Excerpt from Josh’s goodbye letter:

Hello! I have a few things I wanted to say.The biggest thing sounds really simple in two little bitty people words, and I don’t think those two words are big enough to hold everything I want them to mean. I’ll say them anyway: thank you.

Thank you first of all to the staff here, for working so hard to keep me happy and healthy. Without you – well, NVTRP wouldn’t exist, and I wouldn’t have gotten to work here. That would be sad. To my riders, thank you for giving me the most awesome job in the world: being a teacher. Oh, and for the treats!

And to the volunteers, thank you for everything: for hosing my legs with that nice cool water when they hurt, for standing patiently while I took my time eating dinner, and for being very, very gentle with all my blankets and sheets. Thanks for putting on the fly sheets in summer, the double blankets in winter, and all the sunscreen on my bald spot. And especially, thanks for asking nicely for whatever you needed me to do, putting up with my insatiable taste for anything wooden, and not freaking out too badly when I decided to take a sunbath and really looked dead. Everything you did made a difference.

There’s one last thing I want to say before I go, and I think this is the most important one of all. This one can also be summed up in a short people phrase. Keep up the good work. And the work that the NVTRP family is doing together isn’t just good, it’s awesome. Everyone in my four-legged family here pours our hearts and souls into taking care of our special two-legged students, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help. Even though I can’t be here anymore, all the riders and horses are still going to need you. So can you promise me you’ll do that? Good.

If you would like to read the rest of Josh’s letter please visit www.nvtrp.org/joshsaysgoodbye.pdf

Ride to Thrive Horse Show is Here Again!

nvtrp — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 11:37:15 +0000

Ride to Thrive Horse Show & Family Picnic

June 4th at Frying Pan Park in Herndon, VA

Horse Show for Riders of ALL abilities
This is a wonderful competition opportunity for all of the NVTRP riders. For cost and registration information please CLICK HERE

Family Picnic
During the break of the horse show, please join in the fun and deliciousness of the Annual Family Picnic! Tickets are complimentary for the riders and current volunteers. Family and friends can pre-purchase tickets for $15 using the REGISTRATION FORM

Sponsors Needed

We are still looking for more sponsors for this special show! Sponsorships range from class sponsorship at $45 to Champion Sponsor for $500. If you or someone you know are interested in sponsoring, please see SPONSOR FORM

Get “Happy” with Happy Spots!

nvtrp — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:23:10 +0000

Get Happy with “Happy Spots”!

Photos courtesy of NVTRP Volunteer Kris Allen…..

Buy a Happy Spot for yourself or someone you love!

Come meet Happy, she’s our new addition!

There’s no doubt, she’s got a ton of ambition!

Happy is raising money to support our program in a fun way,

by dedicating her spots to those that help save the day!

Because she’s ready to fulfill all sorts of needs,

She’s looking for others to follow her lead!

So would you please donate and buy two or three?

If you do, you’ll make Happy trot with glee!!!

Happy is the newest NVTRP horse and she has a spot just for you! Adopt yours today because we all deserve a “Happy Spot”! Spots range in value from $25 to $5,000 depending on location and size.

Visit www.nvtrp.org/happy to secure your “Happy Spot”.

I hope you get your Happy Spot today! Who needs a star, a whale or an acre of rain forest, when you can have a Happy Spot!?!?Thanks for your support!

Love,

Happy, the Therapy Horse

www.nvtrp.org/happy

Speaker May 1st, Kim Decker Para-Equestrian Rider

nvtrp — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:01:39 +0000

NVTRP is pleased to announce an opportunity to hear about Kim Decker’s experience as a Para-Equestrian Rider competing at the World Equestrain Games! We hope you will join us! Read more about Kim at: http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/para-equestrian-rider-speaks-about-overcoming-challenges

–
Sunday, May 1st, 4 pm
Location: Chantilly area
RSVP to info@nvtrp.org

A bit about this inspirational rider….

Kim Decker, of Centreville, VA, suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in an automobile accident in May of 1986 two weeks before her eighteenth birthday. She was comatose for 3 1/2 months after the accident.

After gaining consciousness she underwent years of speech, occupational, vocational, and physical therapy at various rehabilitation facilities in Virginia and Colorado.

Kim rode and showed hunter/jumper prior to her accident. Throughout her many years of therapy one goal that always stayed with her was to once again become a competitive rider. In order to achieve this goal she rode with several therapeutic riding programs in Virginia and Colorado.

After twelve years of hard work, her goal became a reality in May of 1998 when she rode her first dressage competition at a Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV) show in Leesburg, VA. Since then, her impressive resume includes:

1999- Represented the American Competition Organization for Riders with Disabilities (ACORD) at Dressage at Saratoga, NY where she rode her musical freestyle as a demonstration before a crowd of several hundred.
2004- 3 thirds(Team, Individual, & Freestyle) at the 2004 Canadian Open International Dressage Competition for Riders with Disabilities (Ontario) abourd Anglo-Trakehner Minuet (since retired)
2008- Parap-Equestrian National Champion (Grade 1A, the most severe handicap level) aboard Hanovarian Dashers Destiny
2008- First alternate for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team (Hong Kong)
2009- Para-Equestrian National Champion (Grade 1A)
2010- USET member for the World Equestrian Games (finishing 11th in Freestyle & 15th in the Para-Dressage world championship test)

At the World Equestrian Games Kim obtained her qualifying scores for the 2012 Paralympics in London, England. She will be competing at local licensed dressage shows during 2011 and the USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships CPEDI*** in Saugerties, NY.

Articles on Kim:

Virginia Horse Journal Article

Commonwealth Dressage & Combined Training Associatin Article

Happy 31st Birthday Peaches!

nvtrp — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:14:47 +0000

Peachy Keen celebrates her

31st birthday today!

Happy birthday to a pony who has touched so many people’s lives! Peaches (a.k.a. Peachy Keen) is celebrating her 31st birthday today with lots of treats and love from her many admirers!

Since her surgery in December, she has been recovering marvelously. She’s spent many long weeks of recovery in her stall with lots of tender loving care from the staff and volunteers. Last week she was finally cleared by the vet to start having some time out in the pasture. Hooray! She is thrilled to be munching some spring grass and catching a little sunshine. Each day she is getting stronger and is able to spend a little more time outside.

Peaches has been a therapy pony for over 16 years and has helped countless riders gain strength, balance, and confidence. Many of our riders had their very first lesson on Peaches! She has touched the lives of so many more people like the families of the riders, the NVTRP volunteers, and people all over the Northern Virginia community in her role as community ambassador. Her spunky attitude and cute nickering are always sure to bring a smile to your day.

Happy Birthday Peaches! We love you!

For more information about Peaches’ Birthday please visit: http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/peachy-keens-31st-birthday

Princess Peaches at the Ride to Thrive Horse Show 2010