Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association

08/02/2024

Don’t forget to take the time for the Vital Signs Survey - your opinions matter!

📆 8 more days! The annual WindsorEssex Community Foundation Vital Signs wants your input and perspective to help shape the future of our region. The Vital Signs survey closes on August 9th! Fill it out here > https://buff.ly/4douzsu

08/01/2024

A huge thank you to the Corvette Club of Windsor for bringing your families out to WETRA for a community volunteer day in honour of your 50th anniversary!
Club members, including good friend of WETRA- Rick Farrow, worked hard and played hard on a beautiful Saturday! They were digging /placing fence posts and doing some painting as well as enjoying some horseback riding and BBQ!

Thank you for your huge contribution to improving our property! (And it was fun to see the majestic horses alongside your super cool Corvettes!)

07/30/2024

Bentley the dog, Poppy and Pippa the goats, Winnie and Briar the mini horses, and Bunzo the bunny were soaking up all the attention and love at the Kingsville Pro Rodeo this past weekend. Thanks to everyone who came over to WETRA's booth to say hi!

07/23/2024

We're hiring! The Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association is seeking one part-time Farm Hand.

Who We Are: The Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association (WETRA) is a local non-profit organization who is committed to improving the quality of life of individuals with diverse needs through equine therapies. WETRA is an equal opportunity employer who prides themselves on providing a safe and supportive work environment for our dedicated team of staff and volunteers.

Roles and Responsibilities: Farm Hands will assist with the care of WETRA’s herd of equine therapists and other small therapy animals. Care includes daily turn out/in, cleaning and re-bedding stalls and pens, preparing and feeding meals.

Hours and Compensation: Sunday through Thursday, 7:30am to 11:30am. Minimum wage

Required Skills and Experience:
• Related horsemanship skills
• Experience caring for animals
• Knowledge and understanding of the farm environment
• Physical strength and ability to meet the demands of the job
• Good critical thinking
• Ability to adapt to changing workplace demands
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple tasks
• Maintain confidentiality, sensitivity, integrity, and morality

How to Apply: Interested candidates should send an updated resume to [email protected]. Please submit by Friday, August 16th, 2024, at 5:00 PM.

07/22/2024

Horses pay attention to humans' body language, facial expressions and movements to understand people. Not only can horses understand the various moods and facial expressions of humans, but they can also communicate their own emotions by using non-verbal signals and noises to communicate. While they often talk with their ears and eyes, they show feelings through snorts and whinnies.

What do you think Jan and her 'best boy' Jake are saying to each other here?

Learn more about what makes the horse-human bond special here: https://agapepetservices.com/make-horse-human-relationships-unique/

07/20/2024

A great visit this week with Autism Services Inc. of Windsor & Essex County! 💙

🌟 Embracing New Experiences for some and Enjoying favourite pastimes for others🌟

Life is all about trying new things and discovering what we truly enjoy. This week our Essex group took a trip to Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association to visit some of our equine friends. It was a busy day filled with activities and experiences! 🐴✨

Some highlights of our day include grooming and petting the horses, which is a calming and rewarding experience. But the real thrill came from leading through an obstacle course.

Exploring these activities helped us learn more about our likes and dislikes. Every now and then, we discover new interests that surprise us, while at other times, we are reminded of the activities we prefer instead. Are you a horse lover?

What new experience will you try next? 🌈🌟

07/19/2024

Did you know? Our Summer Camps allow kids of all abilities to learn about equine care, while also supporting children with diverse needs in our community - as funds from WETRA camps supports our ongoing equine therapy programs!

07/17/2024

Learning about equine care and working with horses in a practical way at a young age is not only fun and engaging, but it is also proven to build leadership skills and help develop self confidence!

07/16/2024

It's looking like another sold out summer for WETRA camps!

Were you hoping to register a child this year? If so, we have just TWO SPACES REMAINING :) Visit www.wetra.ca/summer-camp to snag them today!

07/16/2024

We love these pictures of Hazel (WETRA Board Member, Volunteer + Trainer) and our beautiful Emmy girl!🥰

07/15/2024

Thank you to Denica, Meghan and Caitlin for helping to make this happen 🥰

07/14/2024

A huge thank you to Claire Arsenault who set up her "Silly Filly" table at the Cottam yard sale for the second year in a row! She sold chips, candy, water and homemade items like key chains and was able to raise $200 for WETRA!

07/13/2024

Horseback riding, farm animals, crafts, games, bubbles, freezies, sunshine, learning made fun, new friends and countless memories made!

Week 1 of our Summer Camp was a smashing success!
Can't wait to see what week 2 brings!

07/11/2024

Our riding instructors find so many different, creative ways to engage our riders and Summer Camp participants, so that no lesson is ever the same!

Here you can see Meghan using cards with the different horses' names on them. The riders/ campers choose a horse's name, take their horse through a pattern - picking up letters along the way - then coming back to a magnetic board to place the letters and form a word.

On the outside, this just seems like fun - but it's also helping with colour recognition, letter recognition, word recognition and spelling at the same time as working on riding techniques!

07/08/2024

Our adaptive riding lessons may have "halted" for the Summer, but the therapeutic work that our horses do, has not!

We were honoured to bring our mini horses, Briar and Winnie, for a trip to The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County - Leamington /Erie Shores campus, for a special visit with the residents (we were even able to step into the residents' rooms and go right to their bedside in some cases).

It's no question that Briar and Winnie have a special talent for lifting spirits and touching hearts

07/07/2024

WETRA was honoured to be the host location for the 'Advanced Osteopathic Techniques' Masterclass, focusing on equine and canine osteopathic care.

This fun and friendly group rented space at our barn for their Masterclass, and we were excited to open our doors to Osteopath trainees, students & professionals from ALL AROUND THE WORLD (all over Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).
**Special thank you to Rachel Pechek for coordinating the event and for the ease of working with you throughout the process!


London College of Animal Osteopathy - LCAO

07/05/2024

Michael - seen here riding Quincy, WETRA's "Equicizer" - is using his core to engage Quincy's movement, allowing its barrel and rhythmic, repetitive motion to loosen his joints, and relax muscles.

Quincy can be used by instructors in place of a live horse to reap some of the same benefits. Quincy offers a welcoming first introduction to those who may feel afraid, and often breaks the ice for new riders in terms of mounting, holding reins and steering. Additionally, he can be used as an educational tool to introduce things like grooming, tacking and braiding.

You can find Quincy in our warm up/ physio space in the Family Viewing Area.
(And of course you can often find Hazel napping wherever Paige is.)

07/03/2024

We love this beautiful moment between Max and Dixie!

"Max has significantly increased his affinity for animals since coming to WETRA," his dad tells us.

Max was very afraid of animals, and would be nervous when a bird would land near him. Since coming to WETRA, his liking for animals and his ability to form connections with them has notably changed!

We are so privileged to be a witness to the horse-human connection.

This magic moment is only made possible because of our donors!
Donate today, and you can support many more magic moments like this! https://www.wetra.ca/make-donation/

07/02/2024

WETRA's Equine-Assisted Cognitive Processing Therapy program (E.A.C.P.T.) is a program for first responders, aimed at helping to facilitate growth and recovery from Operational Stress Impact and Injuries. Goals of the program include improving emotional and cognitive health and promoting a sense of confidence. Our qualified staff are able to facilitate this individualized CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) in an equine-assisted format.

We recently received the following feedback on the program from one of our client’s full-time clinicians:
“I have specifically seen this program benefit first responder’s suffering from PTSD. The effectiveness of WETRA’s program is evident in the significant improvements I have witnessed in my clients. Many of them have reported a reduction in symptoms, increased coping skills, and a better overall quality of life.”

06/29/2024

We asked Sarah and Thor if it was true... do blondes really have more fun!?

06/28/2024

You've heard about the Emotional Regulation groups that Sonder Therapy will be hosting at WETRA this summer...
But did you know that one of the groups is for parents and kids together?

*Parent and Child Group*- offers the opportunity for parents of children with higher support needs to learn alongside their child.

Learn more here: https://mailchi.mp/wetra/sonder-saturdays

06/26/2024

Thank you to Paige and Isabelle from the Town of Essex for coming in to facilitate our re-certification training for WETRA staff.

(Hazel was very willing to participate in the training as well...
While she unfortunately did not pass her exam to become certified, we know that she IS definitely the dog to call in case of a cuddle emergency!)

06/26/2024

Rest week = self care spa day for the horses!

06/24/2024

Cathi and Madeline, matching, and both looking - "pretty in pink"!

06/23/2024

The Spring Riding Session has now come to an end. It has been so wonderful to see riders' progress each week!

Aaron, Greg and Houston all love the "trot" part of the lesson! The horses Scout, Levi and Kali are always happy to bring them for a safe, smooth and exciting trot.

Thank you to our volunteers - Cathi, Rick, Sue, Bernadette, Dane (and ALL of our volunteers) for keeping our riders safe and helping make these lessons happen - we couldn't do it without you!

Hope to see you all back in the Fall Riding Session!

06/21/2024

A few spaces remain for this exciting new group!

Join us at WETRA!
Group sessions summer 2024
Individual sessions start fall 2024

[email protected]

06/19/2024

And..... We're Back!
Classes will resume Thursday June 20 through Saturday June 22.
Giddy Up 🤠

06/19/2024

In the Fall of 2023, we were thrilled to receive a $10,000 grant from the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, on behalf of the Inspiration 100TM Association and Inspiration 100TM Endowment Fund.

These funds will go towards improving our outdoor spaces at WETRA and creating inviting outdoor spaces where clients can enjoy the quiet farm atmosphere. This will increase opportunities for our community to interact and engage with therapy animals at the farm.

We have 72 acres to utilize when providing experiential learning and a variety of therapies and activities. We look forward to planting/ installing many more shade trees, seating areas, accessible walkways, etc. so that everyone can enjoy comfortably being in the presence of horses in their natural environment for many years to come!

(The Inspiration 100TM Association is made up of a group of community-minded leaders who have each contributed to the Inspiration 100TM Endowment Fund which is held at the WindsorEssex Community Foundation. The funds donated are never touched, but the Endowment generates interest every year and that money is continually invested into community projects throughout Windsor & Essex County.)

06/19/2024

Register for WETRA's Summer Camp before it's too late! Visit https://www.wetra.ca/camp/ for camp details and to register.

Summer Camp Dates:
July 15-19
July 29 - Aug 2
Aug 5-9

Our camps are devoted to assisting children of all abilities to care for and ride horses in a safe, fun and interactive environment. Our counsellors ensure that each experience is unique and enjoyable! Camps are an opportunity for your child to make lasting friendships while supporting the special needs children in our community as funds from WETRA camps supports our ongoing equine therapy programs.

Spaces are limited!

06/19/2024

To the local farmer who donated 200 BALES OF HAY to help us feed our herd... We owe you bales and bales of THANKS!

Now... if we could just find another local farmer who needs this big pile of manure and wants to come pick it up!