By Richard Carrier, special correspondent

The Lonesome Dove Equestrian Center’s program of equestrian rehabilitation for veterans has recently doubled its services. In addition, the group has attracted the interest of a major military equestrian rehabilitation program and other organizations while experiencing the growing pains associated with the overwhelming acceptance of the services it offers.

Lonesome Dove, located at 6137 Old Buckingham Rd. in Powhatan hosted its first group of McGuire Veterans Medical Center participants on Jan. 15, 2008. Instructors, certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, introduced McGuire staff members and a handful of selected veterans to the value of therapeutic riding, touted for both its physical and emotional benefits. The program won immediate acceptance and a group of riders have been attending sessions every other Tuesday at Lonesome Dove since then.
Six-week programs — “not just a pony ride,” said Lonesome Dove Director and NARHA instructor, Clint Arrington, “ but programs to teach real riding skills and their therapeutic benefits” —  get progressively more challenging with each lesson.

“The ultimate goal is to have our veterans ride in competition with other people with disabilities in the TRAV Show competition held each October in Lexington, Virginia,” he said.
Lonesome Dove’s fledging, but well-run program recently attracted the attention of the Horses for Heroes program conducted at Fort Myers, Va. The NARHA, which developed more than 700 centers across the country committed to “appreciating the power of the horse to change lives,” selected Fort Myers as one of two military bases that would conduct pilot programs for American wounded military personnel and veterans, particularly those still on active duty.

Mary Jo Beckman and Larry Pence, instructors in the Fort Myers program, visited the Sept. 9 training session at Lonesome Dove to observe and offer guidance. In addition, the Virginia Racing Commission invited Lonesome Dove and one selected veteran to give a demonstration ride at their Colonial Downs Racetrack this past Fourth of July. And the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has helped out the program by donating one of their Clydesdales. “He’s name is Elvis and he is an absolute sweetheart. He’s just beautiful,” Arrington said.

The ambitious director and his all-volunteer staff have decided to expand their efforts by also offering every other Saturday therapy sessions. “This will be even bigger,” said Arrington, “and this group will include outpatient veterans. Our problem though is volunteers. We need volunteers. They don’t necessarily need to know anything about horses, but just be willing to be a team member.”
Lonesome Dove’s goal is 10 teams and 100 total volunteers.

Volunteers and fund raising are, quite naturally, the largest challenges for the program. “I’d love to give presentations to any group or organization,” Arrington said. A basic overview of Lonesome Dove Equestrian is available on their web site at http://www.ldequestriancenter.com or Clint Arrington can be contacted by phone at (804) 357-9524.

Kara Carlson, Recreational Therapist and Animal Therapy Coordinator at McGuire Veteran’s Center has been involved in the Lonesome Dove project since its inception. In the approximately 30 veterans who have participated in the program she says has seen definite results. The participating veterans have a wide range of both disabilities and capabilities and “there has definitely been improvement in balance and range of motion,” she said. Perhaps as important, “their social skills have improved. We see them being more confident. This would not have been possible without the generosity of Clint Arrington and Lonesome Dove,” she said.

Lonesome Dove Equestrian is planning a silent auction for next spring and starting this fall, according to Arrington, the facility at Lonesome Dove Equestrian will become even more of a social outlet for the veterans. Cookouts, horse shoe tournaments and entertainment by a volunteer Bluegrass band are all on the social menu and all designed to achieve the goal printed on the Lonesome Dove T-shirts: “Lonesome Dove Equestrian Center, Where Veterans Ride Again.”