My daughter was diagnosed as learning disabled in early grade school. Living in the Washington, DC area has been an amazing blessing, because in our immediate vicinity we have access to so many therapies and educational alternatives. Liz has had a successful 9 years working with Carol, Gracie, Equine Therapy Associates, and all the animals, where she has flourished under professional supervision. Through the years Carol has taken each IEP and physical therapy evaluation from the school and adapted the goals and recommendations to Liz's riding lessons! She was working on coordination and muscle development without even knowing it was therapy. And hugging a horse is always the best therapy when friends or family are cranky and out of sorts. We are grateful for the opportunity to have our daughter develop in such a caring and safe environment, and for the opportunity to love "Norfolk", who has proven a gentleman in the ring, in the barn, and at the shows.
Carolyn

Instructors

ETA is a unique NARHA program that designs an individualized cognitive enrichment program for each client, each quarter of the year, using two to seven books that match the student's academic level.  ETA also gives each student their own daily exercise program for use at home, which builds strength, flexibility, and endurance, as well as safety on their horse or pony!

So what else is different at ETA?

• We plant a garden down at the barn, so you and your child can go home
  with peppers, pumpkins and tomatoes

• Unlike 80+% of NARHA member centers, we don’t keep our horses
  and ponies for only an average of two years, and then sell/send some to slaughter;
  we’ve never sold an equine in four decades of horse-keeping.

• We stress conservation and re-use

• We don’t charge for coaching at horseshows; in fact, we divide trailering
  expenses by the number who travel, and we pay our own share of the expenses
  if we show.

• We teach respect for the land, and our duty to preserve and protect God’s creation.

• If we accept you into our program, and if we don’t have the equipment we need
  to meet your needs, we’ll buy it, build it, or find it.

• We've built a hay barn of metal 125 feet downwind of the stables to safeguard the ponies, an isolation stall to prevent the spread of even rare infections, and a covered viewing stand for parents and therapists!

• Our animals don’t have ulcers, like some 50% of American show horses; they are pleasure animals for our family, they work with our clients, they trail ride, and they show, they event, and they rest!

We’d be honored to have you join our special family. Click to learn more about ETA and our wonderful friends!