Location: Boyce, Virginia, United States
Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship (BRCTH) is a nonprofit equine-assisted services organization serving the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and neighboring counties in West Virginia.
Founded in 2007, the center provides therapeutic riding, equine-assisted learning, and specialized programs for seniors and at-risk youth to children and adults ages four and older. BRCTH is a PATH International member center and a member of the Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV).
NOTE: As of April 2026, the program is currently seeking a new facility after its previous home at Almeda Farm in Clarke County was sold.
About This Program
BRCTH is led by Executive Director and Instructor Marjorie Youngs, M.Ed., who has been involved in the therapeutic horsemanship field for more than 30 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education, works as an Educational Diagnostician, and is a PATH-certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. The instructional team also includes three PATH-certified instructors, each bringing years of experience in therapeutic horsemanship to their work with students.
The therapeutic riding program runs in fall and spring 10-week sessions, with weekly lessons of approximately 50 minutes. Students are taught individually, in semi-private lessons, or in small groups of no more than three, with lesson plans individualized for each student and often presented in game format to keep engagement high.
Where relevant, instructors work to integrate IEP goals and other education or health objectives into session planning and consult with education and healthcare professionals on the student’s behalf. Progress reports are completed at the end of each session and shared with parents and guardians, and BRCTH uses the TRAV Rider Achievement Certificate Program to document and communicate student progress over time.
The equine-assisted learning (EAL) program is offered year-round and takes place entirely on the ground — no riding is involved. It is designed for at-risk youth, children in foster care or group home settings, families experiencing homelessness, youth in juvenile diversion programs, and adults working on personal development. Sessions can be individual or group-based and focus on trust, relationship-building, self-image, and emotional regulation through interaction with the horses.
The Equines Serving Elders Program (ESEP) is a particularly distinctive initiative, now in its fourth year, that brings residents living with dementia from Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury to the barn for structured interaction with horses. These eight-week sessions use carefully facilitated horse encounters to elicit joy, curiosity, and sometimes long-dormant memories in elderly participants.
The Fun with Horses Day Camp runs two weeks each summer for children ages 7 to 12 with mild disabling conditions. The program combines therapeutic riding, horsemanship education, mounted and unmounted games, and art and crafts, with a PATH-certified instructor and an art instructor experienced with special needs youth. The staff-to-camper ratio is 2:1, and scholarships are available.
Services Offered
- Therapeutic riding (fall and spring 10-week sessions)
- Equine-assisted learning (year-round, unmounted)
- Equines Serving Elders Program (dementia support)
- Fun with Horses Day Camp (ages 7 to 12)
- Vocational and community service programming for adults with developmental delay (in development)
- School and group home outreach programming (in development)
- Grooming and basic horse care as part of lessons
Who They Serve
Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults ages 4 and older with disabilities
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Individuals with cerebral palsy
- Individuals with ADD or other hyperactivity disorders
- Individuals with developmental delays or intellectual disabilities
- Individuals with learning disabilities
- Individuals with speech impairment
- Individuals with orthopedic issues
- Individuals with emotional or behavioral conditions
- Individuals with visual impairment
- At-risk youth, including those in foster care, group homes, or juvenile diversion programs
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Seniors with dementia
- Adults seeking personal development support
Facility and Setting
BRCTH previously operated at Almeda Farm, a facility in Clarke County featuring large indoor and outdoor arenas, rolling pastureland, riding trails, and a well-appointed barn. The farm was recently sold and the organization is actively searching for a suitable new host facility within its service area. The horses are safely stabled during this transition, and programs are expected to resume once a new location is secured. Families and individuals interested in registering can still contact the center directly.
- Boyce, Virginia location (Clarke County, northern Shenandoah Valley)
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 438, Boyce, VA 22620
- Currently seeking new host facility — contact for updates
- PATH International member center
- Therapeutic Riding Association of Virginia (TRAV) member
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Volunteer-supported programming
What Makes Them Unique
BRCTH stands out for the intentional breadth of populations it serves within a small, community-centered program. Most therapeutic riding centers focus primarily on children with physical or developmental disabilities. BRCTH has deliberately extended its reach to seniors with dementia, at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system, families experiencing homelessness, and adults with developmental delay — all through programming that takes equine interaction seriously as a therapeutic medium rather than a novelty.
The Equines Serving Elders Program is especially notable. Bringing seniors with dementia to interact with horses in a structured setting is a relatively uncommon application of equine-assisted services, and BRCTH’s commitment to expanding it to additional senior communities signals genuine conviction in its value.
Combined with the clinical rigor of a leadership team that includes a certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning and multiple PATH-certified instructors, the program delivers quality across a wider range of human need than its size might suggest.