Location: Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, Québec, Canada
Centre Équestre Thérapeutique Marie-Laurence is a nonprofit therapeutic riding centre located at 1750, 4e Rang in Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, Québec, in the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges in the Montérégie region.
Founded in 2004 by Lucie Allard, the centre has grown from a modest facility with a converted garage as its first indoor arena to a property with two indoor arenas and capacity for 30 horses. It is a certified member of both the Fédération québécoise d’équitation thérapeutique (FQET) and CanTRA, and also serves as a training centre for therapeutic riding instructors seeking ACET certification. Services are offered in both French and English.
About This Program
Centre Marie-Laurence specializes in adapted equestrian instruction for individuals with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and learning difficulties. The centre’s approach is personalized and play-based, matching each participant’s unique therapeutic profile and adapting the riding experience to their specific needs and goals.
Lucie Allard serves as owner and lead instructor, training new instructors and developing the centre’s growing team. In recent years the centre has certified new instructors through both ACET (therapeutic riding) and Cheval Québec (western riding), reflecting a commitment to building professional capacity alongside direct client service. Volunteers are an essential part of the program, serving as horse handlers and sidewalkers, and the centre actively recruits and trains new volunteers from the local community.
Beyond therapeutic riding, the centre offers western riding lessons for beginners and advanced students, horse boarding with indoor stabling and access to private paddocks, day camps, children’s birthday parties, and miniature horse breeding — a full-service equestrian facility that generates diverse revenue streams supporting its nonprofit therapeutic mission. The centre has hosted school groups including students from the DIMS special education program at École secondaire de la Cité-des-Jeunes.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic riding (adapted, individually tailored for diverse needs)
- Western riding lessons (beginner and advanced, private)
- Horse boarding (indoor with private paddock access)
- Day camps
- Children’s birthday parties
- Miniature horse breeding and sales
- ACET instructor training and certification
- Volunteer program (handlers and sidewalkers)
Who They Serve
Centre Équestre Thérapeutique Marie-Laurence may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with physical disabilities
- Individuals with intellectual disabilities
- Individuals with learning difficulties
- Individuals with low self-esteem or confidence challenges
- School groups from special education programs
- Families in Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the greater Montérégie-Ouest region
- Therapeutic riding professionals seeking ACET certification
Facility and Setting
Centre Marie-Laurence is located at 1750, 4e Rang in Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, in the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges southeast of Rigaud. The property features two indoor arenas, stabling for up to 30 horses, private paddocks, and is wheelchair accessible.
The rural agricultural landscape of Vaudreuil-Soulanges provides a quiet, pastoral environment for therapeutic and recreational equestrian activities.
- Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, Québec location (MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Montérégie)
- 1750, 4e Rang, Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, QC J0P 1T0
- Two indoor arenas
- Capacity for 30 horses
- Wheelchair accessible
- FQET member centre
- CanTRA member centre
- ACET-recognized training centre
- Bilingual services (French and English)
- Nonprofit organization (OBNL)
What Makes Them Unique
Centre Marie-Laurence has grown organically from a very modest start into a substantial multi-service equestrian facility over two decades, entirely through community fundraising, grants, and the determination of its founder. That grassroots growth — from a garage to two arenas and 30 horse spaces — reflects genuine community investment in the centre’s mission.
The centre’s dual role as both a therapeutic riding provider and a certified instructor training site amplifies its impact well beyond direct client service. By training new ACET-certified instructors, Centre Marie-Laurence actively builds the capacity of the therapeutic riding field in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region.
For families in the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges seeking bilingual therapeutic riding services in a welcoming, community-embedded rural setting, Centre Marie-Laurence is a long-established and trusted regional resource.