SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday and Sunday
October 15-16, 2022
Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV)
Educational Workshop at the Virginia Horse Center
In line with its mission statement of fostering equine-assisted activities by offering education and networking opportunities to operating centers and to raise public awareness of the benefits of these activities to individuals with disabilities, TRAV annually offers education workshops for its members.
After having been forced to host a completely virtual educational workshop for the past few years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the TRAV Board of Directors is pleased to announce that this year, we are back to hosting in-person events! We are happy to once again be offering the hands-on workshops in person, and we are bringing our annual TRAV Horse Show back!
Please join us for this immersive, educational, and fun opportunity.
Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16, 2022
Virginia Horse Center Foundation | 487 Maury River Road | Lexington, VA 24450‐3374
At the newly renovated Bent Tree Barn and Arena (barn #5)
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Registration Information
Check back soon for more registration details and fee information.
Continuing Education Units
This will be a CEU opportunity, and we will finalize the CEU hours once the program has been confirmed.
Lodging Information
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Comfort Inn Virginia Horse Center, 62 Comfort Way in Lexington for the nights of Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 (checking out Sunday, October 16). When making your reservation, please reference “TRAV Group” to receive the discounted block rate of $159 per night. Be sure to make your reservation before Friday, September 16 to get this special rate.
Comfort Inn Virginia Horse Center
62 Comfort Way in Lexington, VA 24450
Telephone (540) 463-7311 or (540) 463-4590
DRAFT PROGRAM
(May be subject to change!)
Saturday, October 15
9:30am Welcome
Maya Grigorovich-Barsky, Board President, TRAV Inc.
9:45am Mezzanine Talk (virtual as well) – Update on Virginia Horse Center
Speaker: TBD
10:00am Mezzanine Talk – Tad Coffin, SmartRide RxTM Saddle Technology (Part I)
12:00pm Lunch in Mezzanine
Buffet Lunch
1:00pm Hands-On Barn Clinic – Tad Coffin, SmartRide RxTM Saddle Technology (Part II)
Tad Coffin Performance Saddles, Thera Tree
1976 Double Gold Olympic Gold Medalist with Bally Cor
Individual Eventing (Gold)
Team Eventing (Gold)
TRAV is excited to host Olympic gold medalist Tad Coffin for a discussion and demonstration of his latest SmartRide RxTM saddle technology, which has demonstrated a consistent ability to reduce back pain, stress, and anxiety in many horses, leading to optimized performance. This same technology is in his new therapeutic device, the Thera-Tree, which is helping horses across a variety of riding disciplines.
About Tad Coffin: Tad Coffin is uniquely qualified to discuss issues inherent to saddle design, performance and manufacturing. Under the training of Jack LeGeoff, and at the age of 21, Tad won two gold medals in three-day eventing with his mount Bally Cor at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In addition to his riding expertise, Tad has been involved in saddle design for 40 years, with 28 years of experience engineering and innovating improvements in saddle technology. Through his years of research, Tad is convinced that a new and exciting narrative exists in our discussion of saddles, saddle fit, and equine wellbeing.
5:00pm Evening Activities in Mezzanine: Dinner, Silent auction, Networking session &
Announcement of TRAV Therapy Horse of the Year
Featured Speakers:
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- Braydon Jones, 4-H Ambassador
- Mary Carter McConnell, Millwood Farm, Rappahannock County Anthropologist, historian, research specialist, horse and dog breeder, specialist in the study of humankind, and just about the reference for good reading material I’ve ever met. She has plenty of manure on her shoes by the back door, so she’s not just a book-learning-only type girl. Much of our interview was conducted in the field, Mary with a bucket in her hand and her Cherokee and Choctaw herd surrounding her. She explained each animal to us — genetic line, physical attributes and behavioral characteristics, and talked about why the horses were regionally selected over hundreds of years.
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Buffet Dinner catering provided by The George’s
Sunday, October 16
9:00am Horse Show
Equitation Classes:
- Equitation Walk – with assistance (leader and/or side walkers)
- Equitation Walk- independent
- Equitation Trot – with assistance (leader and/or side walkers)
- Equitation Trot – independent
- Equitation WTC-independent
Trail Classes:
- Trail Walk – with assistance (leader and/or side walkers)
- Trail Walk – independent
- Trail Trot with assistance (leader and/or side walkers)
- Trail Trot – Independent
- Trail WTC – Independent
Dressage Classes:
- Dressage Walk- with assistance (leader and/or side walkers) or open for suggestions for another rail class with a small pattern
- Dressage Walk – independent
- Dressage Trot – with assistance (leader and/or side walkers)
- Dressage Trot – independent
- Dressage WTC – Independent
TBD: Potential “Great Beginnings” Classes for 1st time riders
TRAV Statement on Inclusion and Diversity
The Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV) states its mission as a “… non-profit formed to foster equine-assisted activities by offering education and networking opportunities to operating centers and to raise public awareness of the benefits of these activities to individuals with disabilities.” To further clarify, TRAV endorses fairness, justice, and equality for all regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, religious/spiritual belief, gender, socio-economic status, or age. TRAV holds this belief integral in providing services to the population identified in the mission statement and is committed to uphold this standard as a valued tenet.
TRAV Therapy Horse of 2021