Pictures from the 20th Annual TRAV Horse Show

October 8, 2011

A TRAVeler’s Guide to Lexington

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TRAV Spring 2011 Newsletter

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2011 TRAV Annual Meeting and Educational Workshop

Made possible by a grant from the Virginia Horse Industry Board.

Legal Issues Affecting Therapeutic Riding
with Bruce R. Smith, Attorney at Law

Care of the Geriatric Equine and a demonstration on long-lining
by Melinda Freckleton, DVM

What a great turnout for the TRAV Annual Meeting! Many thanks to the Virginia Horse Industry Board for making it possible.

Forty-six people, representing 15 of the 21 TRAV centers, braved the rain and cold to attend the February 5, 2011 workshop and annual meeting. Simple Changes, a TRAV member center, hosted the activities held at the home/barn of Jenny Spain and Dr. Melinda Freckleton in Catlett, VA.

“Legal Issues Affecting Therapeutic Riding” was the morning topic. Sounds dry, but was actually quite lively and informative as presented by Bruce R. Smith, Attorney at Law. Smith knows both equine law and therapeutic riding. He delivered necessary but often overlooked legal information to a group of non-lawyers in an easy to understand manner. We walked away being more aware and better able to handle a number of potential legal issues.

The Annual Meeting was held during lunch. TRAV members Laura Smith and Baba Zipkin were voted onto the TRAV Board of Directors for a 3-year term. See “Meet the New Board Members” below.

Melinda Freckleton, DVM, is an equine ambulatory associate at Haymarket Veterinary Service in Northern Virginia. Her topic was “Care of the Geriatric Equine.” Freckleton outlined various aspects of older horses that need special attention. She identified equine Cushing’s Disease as being one of the most common old age issues in horses, and discussed a variety of other concerns, including thyroid conditions, osteoarthritis, targeted worming , and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Then it was time to head to the barn where Freckleton demonstrated long-lining. The demo garnered many "oohs" and "ahhs" from attendees, especially as Freckleton flawlessly changed direction at the trot.

Thanks again to all who participated and to the Virginia Horse Industry Board for underwriting the meeting with their generous grant.

Meet the New Board Members

Laura W. Smith has been riding for over 30 years. She learned the fundamentals through pony club. She has evented, shown in dressage/hunter shows and re-schooled horses off the racetrack. She began therapeutic riding activities in the 1980’s as a volunteer for the Fairfax 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program (now Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program). After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1991 and a brief stint working in bank management, Laura married and moved to Lexington, KY, and worked in marketing and education in the Thoroughbred industry. In addition, she became deeply involved with Central Kentucky Riding for Hope and served as a sidewalker, leader, hay crew, board member, and treasurer. After the birth of her second child in 2002, Laura moved back to Fairfax, VA. In 2009, she co-founded the Therapeutic Riding Center at Long Branch. Laura is currently a volunteer at Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program and recently became a PATH certified instructor and EAGALA I certified equine specialist. Laura also serves as the ground school education coordinator for River Bend Pony Club.

Baba Zipkin is an IBM executive, serving since 1999 as Senior Counsel leading IBM's Services Division HR legal team. She served 5 years on the Board of Directors of Pegasus Therapeutic Riding in New York during its metamorphosis from a small organization primarily run by its original founders with various rented/loaned facilities, through an extensive real estate search and changes in staff and board membership, to a business with its own facility, professional staff and expanded program. She was also a volunteer for several years before that. She served for 6 years as a board member of the Ossining Public Library, Ossining, NY, where she taught English as a second language. Baba grew up with horses and ponies at home and was a 4-H member until age 14. She then began riding with Frank and Wayne Carroll, showing equitation and hunters. She now rides with Terri Turner Smith in The Plains, VA, where she has two horses that she shows in the Adult Hunter division. She has hunted in Devon, England and Athens, GA.

CLICK HERE for the TRAV Minutes

CLICK HERE for 2010 TRAV Financial Information

TRAV Annual Meeting and Workshop

February 5, 2011
The farm of Jenny Spain in Catlett, VA.

2010 TRAV Annual Report

Click here for the 2010 TRAV Annual Report

Supporting the industry. Educating the community.

Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV), Inc. is a nonprofit organization formed in 1986 to foster the concepts of equine-assisted activities for individuals with disabilities. There are currently over 20 member centers in the Commonwealth. Each operating center is a member of PATH, complies with accreditation standards, and certifies their instructors through PATH. TRAV individual members include program administrators, instructors, therapists, volunteers, parents, riders, and other therapeutic riding enthusiasts.