Mount View Special Riding Association
Olds, Alberta
Mount View Special Riding Association (MVSRA) is a registered charity near Olds, Alberta, formed in 1983 to provide a therapeutic and recreational riding program. It runs weekly spring and fall lessons, including riding classes and cart classes, for children and adults with a range of disabilities. It is an accredited therapeutic riding centre with the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA).
- Therapeutic riding lessons
- Recreational riding for riders with disabilities
- Cart classes
- Spring and fall sessions with weekly Monday lessons
- Volunteer training
- Children and adults of all ages
- People with cerebral palsy
- People with autism
- People with multiple sclerosis, spina bifida or muscular dystrophy
- Stroke survivors and people with amputations
- People who are vision or hearing impaired
- People with intellectual or developmental delays
- People with emotional disabilities
More about this center
About the Program
MVSRA started out in 1983 with six volunteer horses and 20 riders. Lessons follow a therapeutic riding model: riders are taught by riding instructors and get physical and psychological support from trained volunteers. The association says safety is a top priority, but so is fun. Theresa Brown is the instructor.
Lessons run on Monday evenings at Kaspian Equestrian Centre, northwest of Olds, with a cart class followed by a riding class. Each session ends with a Wind Up Night. Grants from Mountain View Power and the Rotary Club of Olds are funding helmets for riders and upgrades to the association's wheelchair carts.
Getting Started
Riders register each session using forms on the association's website, and a doctor completes a medical questionnaire, which is renewed every three years or sooner if a rider's condition changes. All participants, riders and volunteers alike, sign waivers. Riders also pay an annual membership.
A riding session costs $125 for riders who attended the spring session and paid the $10 annual membership, or $135 otherwise, and cart classes cost $85 per rider. Fees are paid by e-Transfer, and a $25 late fee applies to forms or fees sent after the registration deadline.
Volunteering
The association calls volunteers its lifeblood. Volunteers lead horses, side-walk beside riders, provide and groom horses, help riders get ready, and organize fundraisers and the spring and fall Wind Up Nights. Volunteer horse owners submit forms and their horses go through horse testing before the session, and volunteers attend a training night at Kaspian.
Location
Lessons are held at Kaspian Equestrian Centre, 33375 Range Road 21, just northwest of Olds, Alberta. The association's mailing address is Box 1637, Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0.
From public records, not yet reviewed by the center · Last updated Oct 2026 Suggest an edit
Common Questions
Answered from the center’s own website and public records.
How do I register a rider?
Complete the rider registration forms on the MVSRA website and have your doctor fill in the medical questionnaire. For questions, contact Karla Brautigam at 403-335-9146 or karlabraut@gmail.com.
Is there an age limit?
No. The association says all ages are accepted.
When are lessons held?
Lessons run in spring and fall sessions on Monday evenings at Kaspian Equestrian Centre near Olds, with a cart class followed by a riding class.
How much does it cost?
A riding session is $125 to $135 depending on membership, and cart classes are $85 per rider. See equine therapy costs for how this compares.
Location
Olds, Alberta
Questions to Ask When You Call
The center is the best source for these answers.
- Are you running now, and taking new riders?Start here. We couldn’t confirm a current schedule.
- Which ages and needs do you work with?Ask about experience with your rider’s specific condition.
- Is a licensed PT, OT or speech therapist involved?Therapist-led hippotherapy is usually the only kind insurance may cover.
- What does a session cost, and are there scholarships?Many nonprofit programs offer sliding scales or sponsored spots.
- Do you have a mounting ramp or lift?Important for riders who use a wheelchair or need help mounting.