SVTRC OPEN HOUSE, MARCH 20
Tour the Facility, Meet the Horses!

Tour the Southern Vermont Therapeutic Riding Center at Winchester Stables, on River Road in Newfane, Vermont, is holding its first Open House on Saturday, March 20, from 1 - 3 p.m.

Families, school groups, physicians, physical and psychotherapists, potential volunteers (volunteer training sessions are ongoing for energetic people 14 and older) and anyone else curious about Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) is warmly invited and strongly encouraged to attend.

Lorna Young, SVTRC’s Director (and North American Riding for the Handicapped Association Certified Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor) and Winchester Stables’ Facility Manager, Bevin O’Reilly Dugan, will be on hand to answer questions, give tours of the facility and introduce interested folks to the lineup of therapy horses that form the core of all of SVTRC’s programs.

The center, which opened on February 8, currently offers six-week EAA programs for children and adults with physical, emotional and cognitive impairments. The programs – Therapeutic Riding, which develops riding skills and provides exercise to individuals with physical, cognitive and emotional needs, Horsemanship, which teaches basic horse care, safety and behavior, and Vocational Ed, which develops career skills in horsemanship, horse care and behavior – are offered year-round.

Individuals with Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Visual Impairment, Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation, Autism and Multiple Sclerosis, to name but a few, commonly participate and benefit from equine facilitated therapy and activities. Lorna Young will be giving a lesson at 3 p.m.; visitors are welcome to stay and observe if they like. Call 802-365-9434 for more information.