North Fraser Therapeutic Riding Association (NFTRA)

A HUGE thank you to @heavyartillerywelding for fixing our tractor bucket. Thank you so so much!

It is very unfortunate that riding has been temporarily suspended and we do miss all our riders, families and volunteers. The horses may be taking a break but they still appreciate the visits by some volunteers who are still there to groom them, take them for a short walk, and keep their paddocks and stalls clean. Thanks to those who were helping out this morning.

We have one Full Board spot available! If you are interested, please fill out our boarding application on our website www.nftra.ca and send it to Jen, our Barn Manager:) COVID-19 precautions are in effect.

If you are passionate about horses and working with children and have certification through EC, CanTRA or Path Intl, then we should chat! We offer great hours, competitive wages and a wonderfully supportive team. We are also looking for barn staff to cover Sunday morning duties from 7-11am. Duties include feeding, turning out and stall cleaning. If you are reliable and have transportation, please send us your resume!

for the volunteers that have been eager to meet Erin's new pup...Here is Hazel. She is a wonderful addition to our home and looks forward to meeting many new friends at NFTRA.

Thank you to everyone that donated in April, lets try to keep it going... Dear friends, As all of you are aware, the COVID19 pandemic has caused NFTRA to close its gates to our riders & the public for an undetermined amount of time. While we are doing our part to help flatten the curve, we are also still working hard on a daily basis, albeit on a skeleton crew, to ensure that the health and safety requirements of our horses are met. With the postponement and likely cancellat...ion of our spring session altogether, NFTRA is experiencing a financial crunch. Our horses still need to eat, to exercise, to have their feet cared for and to have any health concerns tended to by our Veterinarian. All of these things cost money and with the loss of revenue from cancelled lessons, stretching an already tight budget even further gets tougher by the day. We are asking for your help. We need your help. If you are unable to assist financially due to current circumstances, we completely understand and ask that you help out by sharing and spreading our ask within the community and to your friends and family. Donations to NFTRA can be made via PayPal on our website or you can send E-transfers to [email protected]. All donations over $20 will receive a charitable donation receipt. Please have a look at the attached poster for more information and please share, share share. Lastly, to the supporters of our program, you are an amazing bunch of people. Thank you so much for the emails and voice mails to check in on us. These little messages go further than you can imagine these days! Our appreciation of your support cannot be expressed in a short FB post. When the gates can be opened again, we will have one heck of a gathering to celebrate! Much love to you all, The NFTRA Team See more

We are looking forward to seeing all returning riders, families, and volunteers starting tomorrow.

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY STRIKER!

Looking for employment? Want to work in a supportive environment as well as in a super rewarding field? Check out the post and get in touch at [email protected] if you think this opportunity might be for you. All training will be provided.

Thank you for considering to support our small Therapeutic Riding program. https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/1E2T4GZ11R0RZ

NFTRA rider Hannah and program pony Joy in a beautiful Grad 2020 photo c/o Cassidy Penny

Oh the bugs! the BUGS!!!! We would love to be able to let our ponies out onto the fields, but they just.do.not.want to! TOO MANY BUGS!!!! The wet weather we had earlier this summer has made the fields unbearable for many of the horses at NFTRA. With masks they can ignore the bugs a little and get some good grass munching time, but we are running low. Can you help? Please call or email the office if you can help with this ask. Donations of horse sized masks with or without ears would be amazing. 604-462-7786 or [email protected]. Thank You!

Hello Program Volunteers! Great news... NFTRA will be re-opeing for the Fall Session the week of September 14th. Volunteer Orientations will be held during your regular shifts starting on the 8th. If you volunteer on Mondays, you may join in on another day, or arrange with the office a different day for your orientation. There is lots still do do at the barn to prep for yall, but we are close! Stay tuned for details in the coming days via email. We cant wait to meet up again!!!

NFTRA is sad to say that we have opted to cancel our Annual Open Benefit Show for 2020. We plan to be back next year and hope that you will join us. Stay safe & enjoy your horses as much as possible this summer!

The community support of this program still amazes me...Thank you so much to Cam and the rest of the members of the Kiwanis Club of Golden ears for your donation to NFTRA.

The biggest and the smallest of the NFTRA herd love grooming each other

ok friends, who can tell them apart?

Many thanks to the BC Therapeutic Riding Association for granting NFTRA with funds to care for our beloved ponies. NFTRA appreciates the continued support of our program, as well as to the other TR programs in our province.

All the ponies got some exercise todayYay! With some help from a fantastic board member, I was able to lunge each of our horses and groom a couple too. A few had the zoomies, which always makes me giggle and giggles are always needed

random photos from last week. enjoy

Photos from around the farm April 20-24

Who can tell me who was groomed today by naming the pony/horse hair in the 4 photos?

Thank you to each and every volunteer that so generously gives their time at the NFTRA barn helping our program. We could not and will not be able to run it without you. The horses, the staff and all the animals miss you dearly...we hope to see you all again soon!

Dear friends & followers - We (like many!) are in search of more hand sanitizer to make sure our essential staff have the necessary tools to ensure their health and safety, while caring for our horses. If you know of a company, distillery, etc...somewhere willing to donate or sell hand sanitizer to us please email [email protected]. Thank you so much! Stay safe everyone.

not everyone wanted their photo taken this week, but here is a little collage of our ponies & bear April 14-17

some photos from the farm today

Please note...Spring Session is postponed until further notice. Fingers crossed we will see you all again soon!Please note...Spring Session is postponed until further notice. Fingers crossed we will see you all again soon!

please give & share if you can to this wonderful group

Dear friends, As all of you are aware, the COVID19 pandemic has caused NFTRA to close its gates to our riders & the public for an undetermined amount of time. While we are doing our part to help flatten the curve, we are also still working hard on a daily basis, albeit on a skeleton crew, to ensure that the health and safety requirements of our horses are met. With the postponement and likely cancellation of our spring session altogether, NFTRA is experiencing a financial ...crunch. Our horses still need to eat, to exercise, to have their feet cared for and to have any health concerns tended to by our Veterinarian. All of these things cost money and with the loss of revenue from cancelled lessons, stretching an already tight budget even further gets tougher by the day. We are asking for your help. We need your help. If you are unable to assist financially due to current circumstances, we completely understand and ask that you help out by sharing and spreading our ask within the community and to your friends and family. Donations to NFTRA can be made via PayPal on our website or you can send E-transfers to [email protected]. All donations over $20 will receive a charitable donation receipt. Please have a look at the attached poster for more information and please share, share share. Lastly, to the supporters of our program, you are an amazing bunch of people. Thank you so much for the emails and voice mails to check in on us. These little messages go further than you can imagine these days! Our appreciation of your support cannot be expressed in a short FB post. When the gates can be opened again, we will have one heck of a gathering to celebrate! Much love to you all, The NFTRA Team

Here is a link to a fun website that NFTRA has used for camps in the past. There are lots of fun games and pages to keep you learning about horses while lessons are on break. Maybe you can teach your instructor a thing or two when lessons are back up and running. Enjoy and happy learning! https://allpony.com/play/

We are delayed in sharing this and encourage those who are interested in purchasing tickets to please let us know, and we will connect with you once it is safe to do so. We are once again selling Rotary Duck Race tickets! This year, the grand prize is $15,000 CASH! $10/per ticket = one duck in the race or $100 per book = ten ducks in the race. NFTRA receives 90% of the sale proceeds which directly supports our programs and services.... If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, or a book or more...please let us know and we will take your name and information down - please email [email protected]

Please note the following changes to the NFTRA schedule. Updates will be posted as necessary. Thank you.

Thank you to the Maple Ridge Liquor Store & Kanaka Creek Liquor Store for allowing us to continue participating in their rebate program. And thank you to everyone who shops and remembers to mention NFTRA! Our first rebate of 2020 is a wonderful $1,186!

A very big thank you to BC Therapeutic Riding Association for supporting the development and continuing education of our instructors with a $1,500 grant. We look forward to an informative 2020!

As we enter our final week of Block 2/Winter Session (final day is March 13th) we would like to remind everyone to please be mindful of others and stay home if youre sick/feeling unwell. If you need to cancel a lesson or volunteer shift please call the office 604-462-7786 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding! Block 3 (Spring Session) starts on Monday March 30th.

Please contact the NFTRA office if you are interested in this wonderful opportunity.

Naomi will be leaving the position at the end of March to concentrate her efforts on her goal of becoming a certified therapeutic riding instructor. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the team, please forward a resume and cover letter to [email protected]

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Please call or email the office if you can help with this chore (604-462-7786 / [email protected]). Thank you!

Congratulations to the Ridge Meadows Hospice Society for winning the Chamber of Commerce Serving Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows 2019 Non-Profit Organization of the Year Business Excellence Award! We applaud and celebrate your incredible work within our community. Hats off to you! Also, a very big thank you to the Chamber for an amazing event!

You are not alone! Bell Mobility customers: for every text that you send today, Bell will donate 5 to mental health initiatives in Canada. Dont forget to turn off the iMessage function on your iPhones to ensure your participation counts. #BellLetsTalk

Thinking about volunteering? We are always seeking volunteers and have a few key openings for our current riding session. Interested? Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Naomi - [email protected] or visit our website www.nftra.ca Current openings: -Mondays 1:30-6:00... -Thursdays 1:30-6:30 -Fridays 3:30-6:30 Dont see one that works for you? Dont worry! We run Monday to Friday!

Thank you to Explorer Software Group for continuing to sponsor our therapy horse Buck into 2020. Your donation of $3,500 makes a very impact!

Hello Monday Riders & Volunteers! We are patiently waiting for the rain to wash the snow off the roof of our indoor arena. Monday lessons are again cancelled this week. Fingers crossed todays rain will wash it all away!