I am pleased and proud to announce that we have retained Laura Smith as our Therapeutic Riding Center at LONG BRANCH (TRC) Program Coordinator. She has the perfect skills to complement the work of Christie Rankin, our Equine Coordinator and TRC Instructor, through our implementation of this very important pilot program.

Laura will be a part-time employee responsible for the volunteer recruitment and orientation; marketing and promotion; client recruitment and PT evaluation, organization of our very basic office at the stable and working on computers and such in our administration offices, while Christie recruits and trains the horses, manages the clients and parent relations, provides instruction for the lessons as she devises the lesson plans, and physically trains the volunteers as well as the equine.

Laura is married with two young children. She and her husband, Bruce (an attorney) reside in Northern Virginia. She belongs to the Clifton Horse Society, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, and the American Horse Council. She is a published author most recently appeared in Practical Horseman and The Chronicle of the Horse. Laura was the Marketing Coordinator in Lexington, Kentucky working for The Jockey Club as well as the Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association. Her children belong to a Pony Club in Middleburg.