CATRA, the Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association, is a nonprofit organization located in Grantville, PA which provides  therapeutic horseback riding to people with disabilities. CATRA is run by Ben and Shirley Nolt  who just celebrated the organization’s 25th year helping disabled people improve their lives through interactions with horses, and other animals that live on the farm. I first met Ben and Shirley several years ago when a former client introduced us.  Ben was looking for someone to train some of the horses used in the riding program at CATRA and after talking with us, sent two of his “big guys” to NLHTM for training. Nick and Dar were two draft crosses he had purchased for CATRA and they were the first in a line of many that have since come to NLHTM for the start of their training or “tune-ups” to be suitable as partners for the special needs riders at CATRA.
“After 60 days they are right where we need them to be to continue to work with them at home. Understand that our horses are used in our work with handicapped riders, and need a good solid foundation” says Ben. CATRA has many horses and they come in all shapes and sizes! And each has a very specific purpose in the CATRA program. The NLHTM Training Program has helped build better horses for CATRA; ones that know their job and do it well to become reliable and steady mounts for their extremely precious riders.
Two of CATRA’s horses that have come through the NLHTM Program remain particularly near and dear to our hearts. Chip and Dale are two nearly look alike “minis” that required a bit of de-sensitization so that they could help special riders at CATRA. Though small in stature, these two horses were quite quick to react to many things unnecessarily and needed to be become more reliable and quiet in their interactions with people. We spent a lot of time getting them used to many things that they may encounter at CATRA and in teaching them to be willing and submissive as opposed to distracted and over assertive. Part of their training included hobbling and laying them down so that they learned to be soft, patient and very trusting of people hovering about them. Brooke did much of the training on these two “little guys” and found riding them to be great fun!
At NLHTM we always look forward to working with CATRA horses. And we are happy to know that our work is benefiting many people through the pleasure and the therapy that these horses then give to their riders every day.
For more information on CATRA, please visit them at online at www.catra.net.