The Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association provides equine-based wellness programs for persons with special needs.

Services include therapeutic riding, therapeutic horsemanship, para-equestrian sport, adapted equestrian vaulting, and stable management vocational development interventions as well as horse camps for children of all abilities.

CTRA serves as a hub of inclusion and catalyst for human potential, enriching the lives of countless individuals and supporting key social determinants of health in our community. 

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CTRA welcomes over 100 participants (mostly children and youth) per session with 5 sessions running year round. In addition, CTRA offers horse camps for children of all abilities in the spring and summer.

CTRA’s program offers a range of services designed to meet the unique needs of a diverse user population. A core therapeutic riding program is supplemented by therapeutic horsemanship (offering unmounted therapeutic interactions with horses); therapeutic vaulting (a group-based activity combining dance and gymnastic movements on a moving horse); para-equestrian sport (adaptive equestrian sport with a focus on competition); and summer/spring horse camps for children of all abilities (providing an inclusive camp-experience for children often excluded from these opportunities because of their disability). A stable management vocational development program builds upon the therapeutic horsemanship program to teach highly transferable job training for participants with special needs.

While several unaccredited programs in the region offer equine-based wellness programs, there are only a few organizations in the Vancouver Island area (including Powell River) that are certified as Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA) “member centres.” Of these, CTRA is one of the largest, and the only centre that offers a “lift” (requiring specially trained horses and personnel) to accommodate clients with severe mobility restrictions (e.g. persons in wheelchairs). CTRA remains the only CanTRA centre in British Columbia to be accredited at the highest level (as an “Examination and Training Centre”) and as such, acts as a resource and professional development hub for therapeutic riding organizations across the Province.

Learn more about our programs at www.ctra.ca or follow us on facebook!