Construction on the Jean & Ric Edelman Indoor Riding Arena has continued full-steam ahead since it began this past August. As of now, the roof is complete, the windows are installed, and the siding is slated to be installed soon!

Completion is anticipated in late spring, with clients to start using it this summer. The full herd will return home to O'Shaughnessy Farm at the end of March. By that time, building will be focused on projects inside the facility and on the far side of the building, so sessions can be held in the Trefry Outdoor Riding Arena.

It has been an absolute joy to watch this long-awaited facility come to fruition. Special thanks to Trinity Construction Group, Inc., our General Contractor, for their exceptional work, and to our building committee volunteers, Gary Cubbage (Chair), Alla Cline, John Tuthill, and Steve Tassi, who have gone above and beyond the past several months to help keep the project moving smoothly.

Plans for a ribbon cutting will depend on the pandemic.  We remain hopeful that we can celebrate this momentous occasion with all of you who have contributed your time and treasure to make this life-giving facility a reality. In the meantime, we encourage you to drive by to see all the progress first-hand.  

Since the start of the pandemic, the waiting list for services has exploded and clients' need for year-round services, regardless of the weather, has become even more acute.  What cause for celebration to have the opening of the Jean & Ric Edelman Indoor Riding Arena on the horizon so that we can respond to both community needs.

Please welcome our new Barn Feeder, Amy Duff. Amy comes to us with years of horse experience - from a stable hand/groom to a riding instructor/trail guide to a barn manager. We are glad to have the extra help as we continue to operate at two locations!

Eleanor is looking for a sponsor! This 15-year-old miniature horse joined the NVTRP team at the end of 2020. She holds the highest level of Pet Partners certification and has spent most of her life visiting senior homes. Once NVTRP is able to get out in the community again, Eleanor is excited to join Teddy and the other horses at public events, nursing home visits and equine-assisted learning sessions off the farm. Fun fact: Eleanor is "potty trained"! When on lead, she will wait to go potty until she is taken to a trailer or stall with shavings. Will you help welcome her to the farm and be her sponsor? 

If you're interested in sponsoring Eleanor, visit our website at: https://www.nvtrp.org/sponsor-a-horse or email Tessa Hassett at thassett@nvtrp.org. She is available for a full year sponsorship at $4,000, half year at $2,000 or a quarter year at $1,000.  Cinder, Loki, Teddy and Woody are also available for partial year sponsorships.

Save the Date for the 15th Annual Ride to Thrive Polo Classic on Saturday, September 25th at Great Meadow!

Similar to last year, the event format will be modified to allow for safe social distancing. This will include limiting the number of guests, providing individually packaged gourmet picnics, and creating smaller sections within the event.

Stay tuned for more information regarding sponsorships and ticket sales!

We have an open full-time position for a Volunteer Coordinator. This position does require a certified therapeutic riding instructor certification, however, if you or someone you know has at least two years of experience teaching non-therapeutic lessons, we would love to hear from you. Please send resumes and inquiries to Olivia Taylor at otaylor@nvtrp.org. 

NVTRP is currently able to safely provide therapeutic riding and horsemanship lessons, equine-assisted learning, physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions incorporating horses as well as opening up community lesson classes for children without disabilities, who are also in great need of safe, social activities.

Besides our usual weekly services, NVTRP has also been providing equine-assisted learning visits to Larmax Homes monthly; hosting weekly groups from a local military installation; providing virtual lessons to our at-risk youth partner, Second Story, who are not able to attend in person; launching a psychotherapy group for teens; and providing small group, inclusive camps for kids with and without disabilities on FCPS asynchronous learning days and school holidays.

NVTRP has also seen great growth in our military and veteran program with an increase of 65% in 2020, even with a three month shutdown and projecting even more growth in 2021.

This past fall, we served approximately 90-100 clients per week, roughly 70% of our normal clientele. We hope to be able to welcome more clients back to the farm this spring.

We have been operating at two locations for the past six months due to construction and we are very excited to be able to move the program fully back home to O'Shaughnessy Farm in April.

The horses recently had their yearly wellness exams done and they all passed with flying colors. With an older herd, yearly wellness exams are important to make sure our horses are healthy, in good shape and able to be their best selves for our clients. 

We are currently in search of large pony to join our herd. The ideal candidate is between 13.1-14.3 hands high (hh), 15 years old or younger, sound walk/trot/canter and beginner friendly. We are also looking for a draft, ideally between 15.2-16.3hh. If you have a horse that does not fit that height range but meets the rest of the requirements, we may still be interested! Please reach out to Christina at cduffy@nvtrp.org.

Congratulations to our 2020 Teresa Meade Volunteer of the Year, Erin Mueller, and our Youth Volunteer of the Year, Olivia Krein!

We have an amazing group of volunteers who went above and beyond for NVTRP - especially in the middle of a pandemic.

In a year that was anything but normal, both Erin and Olivia, stepped up in major ways! From being a consistent support during barn shifts... to endless days of summer camp help... to tackling special events like the Polo Silent Auction.

We are so grateful for everything our volunteers do for our staff, horses and especially our clients! Thank you!!

"I first volunteered at NVTRP in 2007, but was unable to consistently lend much time to the organization over the years. Finally, by the summer of 2018, my children were able to be more self-sufficient and I committed to 'chasing my bliss' every week. It has been my pleasure to spend time at the barn, getting to know the horses, staff, and clients," said Erin. "When the program shut down in March, I missed it SO MUCH, but was happy to find myself useful on the Polo Committee, seeking out donations for the silent auction during my down time. Of course, I was thrilled when the program slowly opened back up. Through this isolating pandemic, it has been a blessing to volunteer in this outdoor and safety-first environment. I look forward to more riders returning. Honestly, I feel like I get more out of volunteering at NVTRP than I give!"

"I’ve been volunteering at NVTRP for about two years now. Especially this past year, volunteering has been more important than ever for me. The best part of my week is being around the horses, working with other volunteers, and especially working with riders. I love the NVTRP community and am very grateful to be a part of it," commented Olivia.

Photo credits to Sydney Sawyer Photography and NVTRP staff.