We invite you grab life by the reins and become one of the many participants who prosper at CTRC. So if you think you, or someone you know, could benefit from any of our equine assisted activities or therapies services, follow the Participant Intake process outlined below to get the process started.

*Please note that a participant must be at least four years of age to enroll in any equine assisted activities aside from Equine Assisted Therapy. There is no maximum age for participation.

PARTICIPANT INTAKE PROCESS

CONTACT US  Please fill out the online Participant Application. Once you complete this form, you will automatically be placed on our waitlist and a member of our program will contact you as soon as space opens up!.

SUBMIT PAPERWORK  Once you are on the waitlist for programs you will be contacted when space is available and a Participant Enrollment Packet will be sent to you. This will include a medical form that must be filled out by the participant’s doctor.

EVALUATION  When CTRC has received the completed Participant Enrollment Packet including the medical form, we will contact you to schedule a New Participant Evaluation.  An evaluation helps us ensure that we can safely accommodate you in our program, recommend the proper class, develop goals and create good rider/volunteer/horse teams.  Not everyone can be accepted into the program due to safety or physical/medical contraindications or exceeding our weight limit of 200 lbs. Cost of an evaluation is $50.

REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE  Upon completion of an evaluation and determination by CTRC that we are able to safely accommodate you or your family member, the participant is able to register for services.  A participant’s individual needs and abilities determine which services they are best suited for and which class is most appropriate.

Success at CTRC isn’t measured by scoring a goal or getting straight A’s, but rather by attaining personal goals – the confidence to get on a horse, or the ability to navigate around a barrel, or trotting once around the ring. Therapeutic Horsemanship involves a PATH Int’l Certified Instructor, with trained volunteers, assisting participants to achieve therapeutic and other life goals, acquire horsemanship skills, and establish a special bond with their horse. It is the horse’s three-dimensional stride which makes Therapeutic Riding such an effective therapeutic tool. The horse’s movement simulates a normal human gait. This in turn stimulates the rider physically and cognitively toward reaching therapeutic goals. This gentle rhythmic movement helps improve balance, muscle control and tone, motor development and coordination, posture, strength and overall body awareness. And riders, many for the first time in their lives, can experience the freedom and joy of independent movement.

The relationship that can occur between a rider and their horse can help a rider overcome debilitating fears. As a rider learns that they can have control of a horse, they can begin to learn that they can take control of themselves as well. Trust, impulse control, self-confidence, relationship building and natural consequences are all among the lessons learned. Further, the opportunity to give verbal commands to the horse has allowed many of our riders to greatly improve their verbal skills, and has even led to some of our riders speaking for the first time.

CTRC offers riding sessions throughout the year. Each session is oriented towards the participant’s identified horsemanship and therapeutic goals. With the combination of safety and therapy as priority, CTRC’s PATH Intl. Certified Instructors, specially trained horses, and caring volunteers provide a team second to none in assisting riders to experience accomplishments, interact socially, and learn new skills in an enriching environment.

NEED TO KNOW FACTS ON THERAPEUTIC SERVICES