Cloverleaf Equine Center

About the Program

Therapeutic riding and horsemanship classes teach participants to ride and care for horses, with goals such as balance, strength, coordination and confidence. The physical therapy program combines clinical goals with equine movement and the farm setting, under the direction of a therapist. The mental health and wellness program blends conventional therapy approaches and mindfulness practices with work alongside the horses.

Equine-assisted learning focuses on life skills such as communication, leadership and teamwork. Cloverleaf also offers a limited number of riding and horsemanship lessons for people without disabilities, registered first-come, first-served, and half-day community camps and therapeutic riding camps in summer.

Military Program

Cloverleaf runs 12-week sessions for recovering service members and veterans that combine therapeutic riding and equine-assisted learning. The center says donors allow it to offer this program free of charge to military participants. The formal program began in 2014 after a referral from the USO. See our guide to equine therapy for veterans.

The Horses and Staff

Kelsey Gallagher is the executive director. The team page lists advanced and certified therapeutic riding instructors, two physical therapists, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed master social worker and more than a dozen horses. The center says its instructors are certified by PATH Intl.

History

The center was founded in 1980 in Clifton by a small group of volunteers. It was long known as the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (NVTRP) and changed its name to Cloverleaf Equine Center in 2022. The Jean Edelman Indoor Riding Arena opened in August 2021.

Location

The farm is at 12933 Popes Head Road, Clifton, VA 20124, with the entrance on Popes Head Road. Clients come from across the Washington, DC metro area.