Sometimes participants may start sharing lots of thoughts or stories that aren’t related to the task at hand. This is common—and totally okay!—but it’s important to help bring their attention back to riding in a gentle and supportive way. Here are a few helpful strategies: Use redirecting language like: “Let’s talk about riding.”, “Let’s talk about trotting/turning/getting the ball.”, “Thanks for telling me—let’s talk about that later.”, “We are riding now.” Offer a quick phy

​A good warm-up helps our horses loosen up, move comfortably, and get ready to carry their rider. This is especially important for our senior horses! Horse Handlers should aim for between 10 to 15 minutes of purposeful in-hand movement, including: active walking, halt-and-walk transitions, turns, bending, changes of direction, and some trotting. Watching how your horse is moving and feeling. Remember, it’s not just about walking laps! A good warm-up should get your horse’s bo

The Groom and Horse Handler roles sometimes overlap, so it can be a little confusing to know who should be doing what. Here are a few common scenarios to help clarify how we work together: Scenario 1: Horse Handler & Groom Are Both on Time: The Horse Handler grooms and tacks up their first assigned horse. The Groom checks the chalkboard at the barn entrance for any barn chores that need to be done before starting to prepare horses for the second lesson. Scenario 2: Horse Han

VTRA invites interested parties & experienced candidates to take on a critical volunteer leadership role within our charity. Specifically, we are searching for people with skills in Fundraising/Capital Campaign, Finance, Law, Risk Management, or IT. To declare your interest in joining our board, please submit an expression of interest by filling in THIS FORM by 11pm on October 19, 2026. Any questions? Contact nominations@vtra.ca

🎃 Trick or Trot: A Halloween Fundraiser to Celebrate Community & Horses 🐴 We’re thrilled to invite you to our second Trick or Trot, a Halloween-themed fundraising event hosted by Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association (VTRA) in collaboration with Ponies & Paint Nights! This festive morning is all about bringing our community together to celebrate the season, enjoy some spooky fun, and raise awareness for the transformative work we do at VTRA—supporting individuals of all a

Curious about volunteering with us? Join our Volunteer Orientation event on October 22nd at 5:30pm! This session includes a 1-hour informative discussion on volunteer position opportunities, followed by an exciting barn tour. Don't miss this chance to learn about our volunteer roles and explore our facility firsthand! The Volunteer Orientation event is NOT mandatory to apply as a volunteer and attend one of our training session in the future. Free session - Save your spot HER