Growing Our Knowledge, Strengthening Our Programs

At MTR, Commitment to Growth is one of our core values. For us, growth means continually learning, asking questions, building new skills, and looking for ways to strengthen the work we do with our participants, horses, volunteers, and community.

Continuing education is an important part of that commitment. Our staff regularly seeks out opportunities to learn from experts in the fields of equine assisted services, adaptive riding, mental health, horsemanship, and equine welfare. These experiences expand our individual knowledge, but more importantly, they bring new ideas and perspectives back to MTR.

This summer, Katie Streett and Jessica Mitchell traveled to Temple, New Hampshire, for Eagala Skillsets: Group Work Training. The training focused on incorporating group work into Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and gave them new tools and approaches to bring into MTR’s mental health services. Learning alongside other professionals also provided an opportunity to explore how equine assisted services can support connection, communication, and personal growth within a group setting.

In August, Kelly Rodgers and Linsey Erar traveled to Georgetown, Texas, to serve as evaluators for the PATH Intl. Advanced Therapeutic Riding Instructor Certification Testing. Serving as evaluators is itself a meaningful learning experience. It provides an opportunity to observe other instructors, consider different approaches to teaching and horsemanship, and contribute to the development of the next generation of PATH Intl. Certified Professionals.

Learning also continues right here at MTR. Our team has regular sessions with dressage professionals, including working with Noel Williams, an accomplished dressage trainer, coach, and USEF “r” judge based in Annapolis. These lessons help us continually refine our riding, horsemanship, communication, and feel, bringing those skills back into our work with MTR’s horses and riders.

So what does all of this learning mean for our MTR community? It means that the knowledge our staff gain in a classroom, training, certification, or lesson doesn’t stay with us. It comes back to the arena, the barn, and the programs we share with our community.

For our participants, continuing education helps our team develop new ways to adapt activities, support individual goals, communicate effectively, and create meaningful experiences with our equine partners. For our volunteers, it allows us to share new knowledge, strengthen volunteer education and support, and provide the tools and understanding needed to be successful in the barn and arena. And for our horses, our continued learning strengthens our ability to listen to them, understand their needs, and support their well-being as valued partners in our programs.

At MTR, we believe learning is never finished. Whether we are attending a specialized training, serving as an evaluator, learning from another professional, or developing our horsemanship, we are continually growing.

That growth belongs to our whole community. Every new skill, idea, and perspective our staff gain is an opportunity to make MTR a stronger place for the people and horses who make our work possible.