Dear Friend of CTR,
At Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding (CTR), every day brings a reminder of the extraordinary things that can happen when a person makes a connection with a horse. Children and adults who live with disabilities and diagnoses walk into our barn with challenges—physical, emotional, or developmental—and leave with something powerful: confidence, strength, joy, and a sense of possibility.
This transformation begins with the equine assisted services that meet each participant exactly where they are. For many riders, simply mounting a horse for the first time is a moment of victory. A horse’s natural, rhythmic movement activates core strength, balance, and coordination in a dynamic way that simply can’t be duplicated in a typical environment.
A rider who struggled to speak may whisper to their horse. A child with limited mobility may feel freedom in motion. A young adult with anxiety may find calm in the steady breath of a gentle horse.
The benefits reach even further for the veterans we serve through our Horses and Heroes program. Many arrive carrying invisible injuries of trauma, depression, PTSD, or substance abuse disorders. Traditional talk therapy can feel overwhelming—but a horse offers something different. Horses respond to emotions, not words. They are an integral part of the process for veterans to learn how to regulate their nervous system, rebuild trust, and rediscover a sense of control and purpose. Time and again, the staff that work with them tell us: breakthroughs happen in the arena that don’t happen anywhere else.
But none of this is possible without the heart of CTR—the herd itself.
Our horses are described as teachers, partners, and healers. They are patient with unsteady legs, gentle with shaking hands, and intuitive to the needs of those who approach them. Their work is profound, but it is also demanding. Nutrition based on each horse’s specialized needs, veterinary care, specialized shoeing, and safe shelter are non-negotiable if we are to keep them healthy, comfortable, and able to continue this life-changing work.
This is where we need you.
Your generosity ensures that every rider—child, adult, or veteran—can experience the healing power of our programs. And it ensures that our horses receive the exceptional care they deserve: the medical support, feed, farrier work, and daily attention that allow them to continue giving so much of themselves.
When you support CTR, you aren’t just funding lessons, you are helping to make a connection to horses. You are helping a child say their first words. You are helping a veteran sleep through the night. You are giving families hope. And you are honoring the incredible horses who make it all possible.
We hope you will make a gift today to sustain this work and keep our herd healthy, safe, and ready to transform lives.
With Gratitude,
Cathy Schmidt
Founder and Executive Director
$2,500 and Higher -- Gallop
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$1,000 - $2,499 -- Canter
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$500 - $999 -- Trot
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$100 - $499 -- Walk
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Up to $99 - Friend
Chesapeake Therapeutic Riding, Inc., also known as CTR, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation under Internal Revenue Service regulations (Federal Tax ID #26-0068227). A copy of our current financial statement is available by writing CTR at 1136 Priestford Road, Street, MD 21154 or by calling (443) 528-7793. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (410) 974-5534. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Federal Tax ID# 26-0068227.
