To Our Wonderful Community, As you know from my message last week, we are updating our brand and our name! The Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program now serves more than just Northern Virginia and our services now include more than just therapeutic riding. We are going to update our name and brand to be aligned with all we do. We were on a quest to find a name that has positive associations, is easy to say, and is representative of our organization and values. We found the perfect fit. The new name is… Cloverleaf Equine Center And the tagline is… “Horses Helping Humans Thrive”  The Significance of Cloverleaf · This organization first started as part of Fairfax 4-H, so Cloverleaf is a nod to the shamrock symbol of 4-H. · Our property, now called O’Shaughnessy Farm, is located on an area that used to be called Cloverleaf Farm Estates, so the name includes historical significance to our beginnings in Clifton. · With the name Cloverleaf Equine Center, each leaf of the clover is symbolic of the populations we serve —children and adults with disabilities, youth from marginalized communities, recovering military personnel, and others in need. The different leaves can also represent the different services that we offer. Many parts making up one whole. · Cloverleaf is a word of good fortune. · Horses love clovers! The Words “Equine Center” The term "equine center" allows all our services to fit under one umbrella and to be in-line with updated industry terminology. Beyond therapeutic riding, our services now include physical therapy and psychotherapy incorporating horses, equine-assisted learning, and the name allows for continued growth. Horses can help humans thrive in so many ways! The Tagline The tagline "Horses Helping Humans Thrive" conveys the purpose and the work of the organization since the name is intentionally broad. We have used the word thrive and the phrase "ride to thrive" for many years, so it is a word already tied to the organization. Timing It’s going to take time to transition to the new brand. We wanted to go ahead and share the name as we start that transition, so you could hear the why of Cloverleaf Equine Center as you first heard the name. In the coming weeks, we’ll let you know the timing for when we will officially start using Cloverleaf Equine Center. We look forward to sharing the new logo and the new website when they are ready. Now is a great time to update the brand, after the completion of our new Jean Edelman Indoor Arena and as we prepare for the next round of fundraising for Phase III of our construction project, the new barn. The organization is doing very well and the new brand will help expand our reach and impact. From the Survey This word cloud represents responses from our branding survey question, ‘What one word comes to mind when you think of the organization?’ The bigger a word, the more frequently it came up as a response.  The survey question ‘Describe your favorite NVTRP memory or experience’ had so many heart-warming responses. Here is a sampling: · "My daughter's excitement to share what she learned and what she got to try after each horsemanship class and riding class. Seeing her gradually begin to recognize her own value and ability to learn has been my favorite thing." · "Bonding with Loki—looking at my beautiful son riding Loki into the brilliant sunshine, with a smile the size of the sun on his face." · "Watching my daughter ride Rose during the pandemic when so much was lost." These words and the sampling of memories capture the heart of the organization. We look forward to updating our brand and name and continuing the work of helping individuals realize their highest potential through riding and working with horses. Please reach out if you have any questions or want to talk about the new brand. We continue to be so grateful to our wonderful community of clients, volunteers, donors, supporters, and of course, horses! Warmly,
 Executive Director kgallagher@nvtrp.org  | 
