Welcome to CTRA

Mission Statement

The Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA) promotes and facilitates access to horses as a therapeutic alternative for all members of our community. CTRA seeks to enrich the lives of all people involved in our programs through the power of the human-equine bond.

What is Therapeutic Riding?

“Therapeutic Riding” is often called “Equine Assisted Therapy.” Therapeutic riding is an alternative form of therapy that utilizes horses to help people realize various therapeutic goals. Therapeutic riding is especially beneficial for persons with various disabilities.

The therapeutic benefits of equine-based therapies, activities, and education can extend far beyond simply riding a horse. Activities involving the horse can be used to assist people in achieving physical and mental health as well as cognitive, behavioral, social and communication goals.

At CTRA our goal is threefold:

To facilitate and promote access to horses as a therapeutic alternative.

To improve the quality of life for all people involved in our program with an emphasis on providing opportunities for persons living with disabilities.

To offer opportunities for vocational development, workplace training, and employment for persons facing barriers to employment.

The Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association is a long-standing fixture in the Cowichan Valley and encourages friendship and collaboration between our association and our community. We believe that to truly understand the healing power of the human-equine bond, individuals need to experience therapeutic riding and equine-based therapies for themselves. Our facility is open to the public and we encourage individuals and groups to visit us and experience what makes this program so very special.

This unique program transcends basic therapy to provide multi-sensory pathways of communication; dynamic and empowering forms of mobility; and lasting opportunities for friendship, growth, and inclusion. We invite everyone to explore our website, contact our office, or visit us in person to discover first-hand the power of therapy based on the human-equine bond.