By Ann Caine, CanTRA Advisory Council 

Founded as a national charity in 1980, the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association will be celebrating 45 years of service to member programs in every province across Canada with a national Conference in May, 2025.

CanTRA programs promote achievement, empowerment, and challenge for children and adults with disabilities, through partnership with the horse.

Over 60 member centres across Canada provide high quality therapeutic, recreational, life skills, and sport programs, serving thousands of children and adults with a wide range of disabilities, both physical and cognitive. These programs are supported by thousands of community volunteers and made possible by the interactive POWER OF THE HORSE.

CanTRA was a founding member of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) and is recognized internationally as the only governing body for therapeutic riding in Canada. The membership embraces both CanTRA certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors from basic to senior levels, and also includes physiotherapists (PT), occupational therapists (OT), speech language pathologists (SLP), family physicians, social workers, and other registered therapists. All applicants are referred to programs by their family physician, paediatrician, or therapist.

Many children, and especially teenagers and adults, become isolated due to their disabilities, often by not being included in social community programs and experiencing a sense of belonging.

CanTRA member centres offer the opportunity for inclusion into an empowering environment, whether this provides riding or interacting with a horse on the ground in a grooming program, or an equine assisted learning (EAL) team-building and personal development program. The success of all these multifaceted programs is the POWER OF THE HORSE — combined with the training and excellent certification of the instructors.

The photos included with this article represent the story of hundreds of young people at CanTRA centres across Canada. Children for whom a riding program is considered beneficial by their family physician, paediatrician, or therapist may be accepted into the program at three years of age and continue into adulthood.

Haley V began riding at four years old, and is now 26 years old, having also completed a high school co-op program at a CanTRA Centre. She is now a part of a vibrant Life Skills program.

Haley 4 Years Old; Haley V today, and at 4 years old when she started riding. Photos courtesy of CanTRA

Brooke F began riding at 10 years of age and is now 27 years old and quotes, “When I ride, I don’t need my walker or my braces.  It’s the strangest sensation. Trotting is like an out-of-body experience.”

Haley and Brooke are examples of so many young people who are reaching their own individual full potential at CanTRA programs across Canada.

For further information, or to learn about Instructor certification, please contact CanTRA. 

Main Photo: Brooke F with friend Cadbury. Photo courtesy of CanTRA