The Comox Valley Therapeutic Riding Society

09/30/2025

There are no classes today, Sept 30th -
We are closed for Truth and Reconciliation Day.

09/25/2025

Wow, what a busy month!

We started September off with putting up fences and preparing the barn, horses returning, volunteer training workshops, and of course our Fall Session classes.

The horses had a wonderful summer. From participating in Working Equitation shows, trail riding, riding lessons, obstacles and liberty, to a whole lot of napping in the sun, cooling baths on hot days, and extra time to relax and scratch themselves on trees, they all had a well deserved 3 month holiday.

As much fun as summer was, we are all happy to be back in full swing - the lobby was far too quiet!

Stay tuned next week for Horse of the Month - we haven't made it all the way through our herd yet ✨

09/25/2025

Wow, what a busy month!

We started September off with putting up fences and preparing the barn, horses returning, volunteer training workshops, and of course our Fall Session classes.

The horses had a wonderful summer. From participating in Working Equitation shows, trail riding, riding lessons, obstacles and liberty, to a whole lot of napping in the sun, cooling baths on hot days, and extra time to relax and scratch themselves on trees, they all had a well deserved 3 month holiday.

As much fun as summer was, we are all happy to be back in full swing - the lobby was far too quiet!

Stay tuned next week for Horse of the Month - we haven't made it all the way through our herd yet ✨

08/18/2025

What a great resource Foundry Comox Valley is! Check out this informative workshop here in Courtenay.

Life in the Fast Brain is back!! This time with a focus on substance use. Join us for real talk about ADHD (not just symptoms) and explore why substances hit different for us. Let's get together and share tools, not shame. For more information, and to register, please connect with Rachel at rachel.ducommun@jhsni.bc.ca

06/02/2025

June's star of the month is ✨ Bailey ✨

Bailey is a 19 year old, 14.3hh Fjord Thoroughbred cross.
She has the power of a fjord crossed the speed of a racehorse - a very forward mix!
She has been in our program for 2 years now, but in her younger days she did jumping competitions and Gymkhanas.
She is a very sensitive mare who is particular about how she connects with people. While some horses love to be touched all over and have lots of hands on time, Bailey is a "space-sharer". She is an excellent teacher of personal space, body language, and different ways to connect. She thrives with our youth riders and even if she is a bit tall for our youngest riders, she is excellent at taking care of them.
In her spare time Bailey enjoys going for endless laps of the forest, and loves a good run at liberty where she can show off all her best moves, which rarely involve many feet on the ground!

05/29/2025

Today was our last day of classes for the session!
It was another amazing season. We are so proud of our riders, and thankful to our incredible volunteers, staff and horses.
Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones in September.
(We haven't made it through the whole herd for Horse of the Month posts, so keep your eyes peeled 🫣 over the summer)
Happy Trails!

05/03/2025

This May we are mad about ✨ Moxie! ✨

Standing at 14hh, Moxie is a 22 year old Fjord x Qh - containing all the power of a Norwegian Fjord and the Moxy dumptruck she was named after, with the sweetness of a caramel cube.
Before joining our program 3 years ago Moxie lived in the wilds of Terrace spending time training as a pack horse, becoming a mountainside and obstacle queen. When she came to the island we were thrilled to have her in our program, snaffling up both her and her previous owner to become one of our instructors, a 2 for 1 deal!
She has 2 push button modes which make her adaptable for a variety of skill levels - Luxury-mode-cruise-control- steady-eddy-therapy-pony, or Sport Mode.
Moxie LOVES a good liberty run, trotting and cantering through the trails to the river, sneaking cookies, and massages.
Her sweet, friendly and calm nature builds confidence in our most timid and anxious riders, while her sensitive side and need for autonomy helps people to learn about horses as a sentient being. We all have a lot to learn from a horse like Queen Moxie 👑

04/30/2025

It's National Volunteer Week!

The definition of a volunteer is "someone who freely offers to undertake a task", "a person who works for an organization without getting paid". To us, they are also people who leave behind more than they take with them when they leave. They are the lifeblood of our organization and everything to our program.
From leading and sidewalking in classes to helping clean the barn and tack room, fences and repairs, right down to dusting bins, shoveling gravel and lifting haybales, organizing recycling, and helping with fundraisers.
They are high school students working on graduation credits and young people entering the work force. They are working full time jobs but sneak away for a couple of hours a week for a class, and they are retired professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge from their working careers. They are new to town and looking to make connections, they have lived here their whole lives and giving back to the community. They have many years of horse experience, and they have barely been up close to a horse.
They are from all walks of life, each bringing something unique to our team. They are valued and appreciated. Thank you, to our incredible 60 volunteers - May you all get to lead your favourite horse at least once a week💖

04/01/2025

Despite being April 1st it is NO JOKE how much we love ✨ Monty ✨

Monty is an 18 year old, 13.3hh Gypsy Vanner.
He arrived at our barn only 9 weeks ago and we knew right away he was a special little pony.
He spent the last 8 years living a life of luxury on Denman Island, and has come out of retirement to be a therapy horse!
He came with some special tricks like lifting a foot forward and stepping on blocks. Once he realized he wasn't supposed to climb ON the mounting block, he settled right back into ridden work and started classes like an old pro.
Like our Clydesdale, he also has CPL - a lifelong condition that can be managed but not cured, so instead of traditional long feathers his legs are shaved for health maintenance.
In his past life he trained dressage, participated in shows and pulled carriages. His life experience surely adds to his calm demeanor.
Monty is so soft, gentle and responsive with our riders, and loves to be pampered and groomed by them. He is quickly becoming another favourite as everybody gets to know him!
He also loves being out in the "bachelor pad" field with his buds, playing at liberty and going for trail rides!

One of the best parts about Monty is he was generously DONATED to our program by Catherine Platz!
We are so lucky and grateful to have such an incredible 4 legged gift ✨

03/30/2025

Phew, I hope everyone is home and unpacked from the tack sale, and oggling over your new treasures.
We are so thankful to everyone who came out to support our program and community today, we enjoyed seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones!
A special thank you to Anna Whiten of 27 Cedars Custom Saddle Pads for her donation from the sales of her beautiful products,
and to Scarlett and Addi for providing popcorn snacks and donating a portion of their sales too ✨

02/20/2025

Join CVTRS at their Spring Fundraiser Community Tack Sale!
Clean out your tack room and book your spot now by emailing cvtrs@telus.net.
Spaces are only $20!

02/20/2025

February's Barn Star is ⭐Peaches⭐

Peaches is a 23 year old Fjord who will fool anyone for a decade younger.
She has been in our program for 10 years and is still going strong (she is a Fjord after all). Some of her nicknames are Peachy, Princess Peach, Peach Pit, Peach Pie, Peach Fuzz, and The Best Pony In The World.
She has PPID (a hormone disorder) and is on daily medication. One of the symptoms of PPID is difficulty with temperature regulation and thick, greasy coats, so she has several clips throughout the year to keep her skin healthier and body more comfortable. Sometimes you might find her with a heart or a peach on her back end.
She is a solid rock star in classes - her friendly, outgoing and brave personality helps to bring riders out of their shell, building their confidence and ability to make new connections.
Outside of classes she enjoys working in the arena, trotting through the trails, and has participated in a few Working Equitation events.
In her latest interview Peaches shared she has no plans of retiring any time soon, she still has a lot of trotting and cantering left to do. Trot on, Peaches!