Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association

🌟 Step by Step: A Participant's Journey at VTRA 🌟

Lesson learned: when things don’t go as planned, we adjust.

As anyone who works with horses knows, even the best‑planned lessons sometimes need to shift, and today was one of those days. The plan was to continue practicing Leslie’s freestyle dressage test, but after the warm‑up, Sadie became a bit spooked in one corner of the arena.

Leslie and Louise responded beautifully, choosing to slow things down and refocus on the basics, working through calm “whoa” and “walk on” transitions to help Sadie regain confidence.

Today’s big takeaway was an important one: rather than holding tight on the reins in tense moments, it’s often better to soften, release, and allow space, while Leslie also focused on using her body, keeping her hips grounded and steady in the seat.

These moments can feel challenging, but they’re also where some of the most meaningful learning happens. We’re so proud of how Leslie, Louise, Sadie and the volunteers worked through it together with patience, trust, and teamwork. 💛