For 28 years, the Prince George Therapeutic Riding Association (PGTRA) has been providing horseback riding to children and adults with disabilities.
Like many non-profits in the community, the long-established program is facing new challenges because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, the volunteer-run organization, which is entirely funded through donations, had about 40 riders of all abilities.
“This year, because of COVID, we’ve had to scale back a lot because we can’t have the extra support people on the side,” says Caroline Parker, who has been volunteering with the PGTRA the last four years.
The program is normally run out of the PG Agriplex, but had to temporarily relocate to the Taba Creek Farm west of the city, where the association boards its four horses on the off-season; Tramp, Spirit, Myrissko and Fancy.
“Community support is just amazing, but it’s easy to forget the different organizations that are out there especially if they are nonprofit. It is difficult to keep the word constantly out there that these organizations exist and we are no different,” says Parker.
“We are further out of town now so people don’t really see us, it’s wonderful that we can run the program but we are not as visible.”
Parker began volunteering with the program when her adult special needs son, who has autism and Tourette’s Syndrome, expressed an interest in riding.
“Even on his worst days when he’s full of ticks or he has a rough day, he rides Spirit and for half an hour and he’s in control of his body,” says Parker.
“He’s nonverbal as well so to be able to communicate with an animal of this size and to be able to tell the animal what you want it to do and to be able to work together as a team it’s just so empowering.”
The program was founded in 1992 when a group of parents and children from the Child Development Centre decided therapeutic horseback riding was needed in Prince George.
“It’s great for their muscles, it’s great for their core, but I think the biggest thing is self-esteem, confidence and growing in their personalities,” says Barb Warkentine, PGTRA president and one of the original founding parents.
“One thing about our organization is that we accept everyone from emotional support, to depression, to mental illness, to autism, to FASD, to any disability."
Over the years, Warkentine says she’s seen riders go on to speak better, improve in walking, or just become more independent.
“We even rode a young man with a broken leg who was a hockey player — the most amazing story about that is that he’s a grown-up today but he still sees some of those kids and says ‘Hi’ so it’s also about inclusion and that is huge.”
Although the PGTRA has been helping riders in the community for nearly three decades, it’s still a very small organization and expensive to run.
One of the biggest fundraisers for the association is its annual gala, which raises about $25,000 in a single night, however, COVID-19 forced the PGTRA to cancel the event.
“We are having our first online auction which is going on right now and it’s a new experience for us,” says Warkentine, adding she’s also applying for pandemic related grants.
“We write a lot of grants anyways, but in this case, grant writing has increased by about 100 per cent.”
The PGTRA finished its final session of the year on Halloween (Oct. 31), after having to cancel its first session in the spring when the pandemic first arrived in the region.
However, the organization’s online auction takes place until Wednesday (Nov. 4) and is also hosting a raffle until Dec. 12.
“I think we need to thank Prince George because they have been awesome to us even though we are tiny,” says Warkentine.
“What’s great about our program is that it belongs to the riders. This is an organization where the riders take control. I think that is the most important thing is to give them ownership.”
You can learn more about PGTRA on its website.
