History

Dot Kohlbach, Lou Paules and Debby Lominac founded NCTRC in 1977, making 2017 our 40th anniversary. NCTRC first began at Miss Pitty Pat's farm in Durham and eventually settled down, in 2008, at Clearwind Farm. In 2009, NCTRC took over management of the farm through a leasing agreement, allowing significant expansion of programming. In 2021, that lease ended and NCTRC relocated operations to Sport of Horses Park in Snow Camp, and then to a private farm in Mebane.

Since 1977, NCTRC has served thousands of children and adults, and is now the oldest therapeutic riding center in North Carolina. The challenges faced by our clients include autism, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, behavioral issues, brain injuries, and developmental delays.

NCTRC is accredited as a Premier Center by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International, formerly known as NARHA), which is the governing body for all participating therapeutic riding programs in the country. Riding lessons, psychotherapy, and hippotherapy sessions are conducted by PATH-certified instructors and licensed therapists.