When lightning struck and burned a barn to the ground Thursday, July 19, some Fairfax County citizens lost more than a place to enjoy a leisurely horseback ride on a spring afternoon.
The barn was the site of the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, a 27 year-old organization that provides help to people with physical, emotional and cognitive disabilities.
The fire left the program, its 65 riders and 12 horses homeless, according Rhonda VanLowe, chair of the program's board of directors.
"We are exploring the options of what we can do now and hoping to get in touch with people that might help us," said VanLowe.
The organization has been in several locations during its nearly three decades but it had most recently set up shop near the intersection of Route 29, Fairfax County Parkway and West Ox Road.
In addition to the roof over its head, the organization also lost all of its equipment, including brushes, bridles, bits and saddles. Since the program serves many people with physical disabilities, much of the equipment had been custom made to help certain riders.
"It is irreplaceable. The special equipment, these are not things you would see in a normal barn," said VanLowe.
The horses, which VanLowe said miraculously escaped the fire, are now being housed in a pasture next to the barn. The site is not an appropriate long-term home for them, since it provides no cover from the hot sun or rain, she said.
If they can find a temporary location, the group would like to resume its programming in as soon as two weeks.
"For a lot of our riders, this is the one activity they can really engage in," said VanLowe, who added that program currently has a year-long waiting list.
Those in the program have a variety of disabilities that range from mental retardation and autism to cerebral palsy. It is open to all ages and had also begun working with veterans who had recently returned from the Iraq war, said VanLowe.
For some riders, the relationship they have with the horse can provide comfort and mental clarity. Horses' movements also mirror that of humans and riding can help those with physical disabilities improve their muscle memory, balance and coordination.
"Horses are very special in a lot of ways. There is a emotional relationship that really happens," said VanLowe.
Mary Beth Carroll said she and her husband notice a difference in their 13 year-old daughter Erin during the weeks when she rides and when she doesn’t.
Erin, who has been diagnosed with autism, is nonverbal and has a very difficult time communicating with others. But riding allows her to socialize with the instructors and horses in a way that she normally cannot, said Carroll.
The exercise has also made Erin, who also has some physical disabilities, stronger that she would have been otherwise.
"This allows her to really excel at an activity and there only," said Carroll, who sits on the board of the riding program.
It is important for the program for the program to get up and running so that many of its participants – who are aggravated by changes in routine – don’t miss out on the experience, said Carroll.
The organization hopes to find temporary and eventually permanent space in Fairfax County since most of the their riders live in the county.
"With all of the new development, it is really going to be a challenge to find a place but we really want to stay in central Fairfax," said VanLowe.
To help, call Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program at 703-764-0269 and or see www.nvtrp.org. Send mail to P.O. Box 184 Clifton, VA 20124.