Marion Therapeutic Riding Association (MTRA), Ocala, Florida

03/23/2026

What an incredible day at Walk MS: The Villages! 💙☀️

MTRA was proud to be represented by our amazing staff, dedicated volunteers, and our supportive board members—all coming together for such an important cause on Saturday!

We are so proud that 2 members of our MTRA family who are living with MS were part of this special day. Their strength and determination inspire us every day. 💙

Moments like these remind us that we are more than a program—we are a community. 💫

03/19/2026

🍽️ Dinner plans? We’ve got you covered—TONIGHT!

Join us at Texas Roadhouse from 4–8 PM and 10% of your total food purchase will be donated to support Marion Therapeutic Riding Association (MTRA) 🐴💙

📄 Be sure to present this flyer when you dine in or order to-go—this is required for MTRA to receive the 10%!

Eat well. Do good. It’s that simple.

03/18/2026

✨ Volunteer Spotlight: Pat Collins ✨

At MTRA, our volunteers are the heart behind every ride, every connection, and every breakthrough—and today we’re proud to shine a light on Pat Collins! 💙🐴

🐴 What is something you’ve learned from the riders or horses during your time volunteering at MTRA?
“I’ve learned just how much of a positive impact horses have—not only on the emotional needs of the riders, but often their physical needs as well.”

💫 What keeps you coming back to volunteer week after week?
“Knowing that I’m helping make a positive impact on the riders, along with my own love of horses. As Winston Churchill once said, ‘There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.’”

💚 If you could describe the MTRA community in three words, what would they be—and why?
“Dedicated, caring, and knowledgeable. MTRA is committed to meeting the individual needs of each rider (and horse), with the experience and understanding needed to truly make a difference.”

Pat, thank you for your compassion, dedication, and the heart you bring to MTRA. Volunteers like you make our mission possible every single day!

✨ Want to make a difference too? Join our incredible volunteer community—we’d love to have you!

03/17/2026

✨ The Power of Finding Your Horse ✨

One of the most meaningful parts of therapeutic riding is the bond that can form between a rider and a specific horse. 🐴

Horses are incredibly perceptive animals. They can pick up on subtle cues in body language, tone, and emotion, often responding in ways that help riders feel understood, calm, and supported. Research shows that equine-assisted activities can improve balance, coordination, core strength, confidence, emotional regulation, and social connection.

But something special happens when a rider connects with one particular horse. That familiar partner can become a source of comfort, trust, and motivation. Riders often gain confidence faster when they build a relationship with a horse they know and trust—learning each other’s rhythms, cues, and personalities along the way.

At MTRA, we see these partnerships grow every day. A rider and “their horse” working together, building trust step by step, ride by ride. And sometimes, that bond becomes the moment everything changes. 💙

03/16/2026

Sunshine, fresh air, and a gentle soul over the fence. ☀️🐴

At Marion Therapeutic Riding Association (MTRA), moments like this remind us why equine-assisted therapy is so powerful. Horses have a unique ability to build confidence, encourage emotional healing, and create meaningful connections for riders of all abilities.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen in the quiet moments — a soft nuzzle, a deep breath, or the feeling of trust between horse and human.

Every ride, every volunteer, every horse helps change a life. 💙

03/13/2026

Friday Facts from the Barn! 🐴💙

Did you know that horseback riding therapy can mimic the human walking gait? This rhythmic movement helps riders strengthen core and leg muscles, improve posture, enhance balance, and develop motor skills—all while having fun in the saddle!

At MTRA, we turn this science into purposeful lessons—both in the arena and on the ground. Our ground classes teach horsemanship, grooming, and handling skills, helping riders build confidence, coordination, and a strong connection with horses even before they ride.

Every lesson—whether on the ground or in the saddle—supports growth, independence, and joy.

03/12/2026

Did You Know?

The movement of a horse closely mimics the natural motion of the human walk. During a single riding session, a horse can move a rider’s body hundreds of times in ways that help stimulate muscles used for balance, posture, and coordination.

That’s why therapeutic riding can help riders develop strength and stability while doing something they love—riding horses! 💙

At MTRA, every ride is more than a lesson… it’s a step toward greater independence.

03/11/2026

Living with Multiple Sclerosis can affect balance, strength, and mobility—but therapy doesn’t always have to happen in a clinic. Sometimes it happens in the saddle. 🐴💚

The rhythmic movement of a walking horse closely mimics the natural motion of human walking and can help improve balance, core strength, posture, and coordination. Many individuals with MS also experience emotional benefits such as increased confidence, reduced stress, and a renewed sense of independence.

✨ MTRA proudly offers therapeutic riding classes for individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis. Our incredible horses, staff, and volunteers work together to create a safe and supportive environment where riders can build strength, confidence, and connection.

Because sometimes healing begins with four hooves and a heartbeat.

03/09/2026

Huge thanks to Pyrahna for helping keep our herd of 20 four-legged beauties happy and comfortable! 🐴✨

When you’re caring for a herd, quality products make all the difference—and Pyrahna delivers. From trusted horse care essentials to products designed with horses in mind, they help keep our herd feeling their best every day.

Support a family-owned business that truly understands horse care and check out their products online. You can also find them locally at Seminole Feed and Tack Shack of Ocala.

🐎✨

03/06/2026

Big smiles and big generosity! 💙

We are incredibly thankful to a kind member of our community for donating these much-needed supplies to MTRA. Support like this helps keep our barn running smoothly and allows us to continue providing life-changing equine-assisted services to our riders. Thank you for supporting our mission!

🐴💙

03/06/2026

Less than 24 hours away! Come out and enjoy the vendors, the music, the food, the car show, the contests and live entertainment, and the strawberries, of course! There is something for everyone, and we are excited to be partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Marion County and helping out with parking again at the Habitat Strawberry Festival supporting both of our missions! Just one more reason we love our community!

We are 8 days away from the sweetest festival in Marion County! 🍓

Join us on March 7, from 9am to 5pm, at the McPherson Complex in Ocala, FL for the 12th Anniversary Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival !

This festival is the perfect place to check-out small businesses from across the East Coast while enjoying live music, a car show, BMX shows, and all things strawberry. 💗

Let the berry good times roll 🎊

🛍 VENDORS 🛍
A3 A Dragon's Treasures Stained Glass
H3 Abshier Insurance Agency
E11 AGM Roofing & Tree Service
O5 Albers for Congress
B26 AlignLife Chiropractic
E2 Alpha Heating and Air
G3 AmeriLife of Marion County, LLC
B16 Arnette House Inc
M1 ArtOverkill 3d Printing and Design
A13 AT&T
C10 Augusta's Way, LLC
N10, 11 Barefoot Baker Sweets & Treats
D5, D6 Bart Blessing State Farm
D14 Bath Fitter
B1 Be Well Holistic Massage Wellness Center, P.A.
S22, 23 Best Food Ever
A17-19 Big Bite Conecession
E10 Bin There Dump That
C24 Bizzy Bee Feeze Dried Candy
B3,B4 Bleu Basil Artisan Pasta
C19 BMW WINDOW COVERINGS AND DECOR
L3 Brick City Hot Dogs and Catering
CS2 Campus USA
AA1-2 Calypso / shrimp shack
CS7-8 Capture the Moment
O1 Casa de campo
D24 Cazzusweets
A4 Center for Independent Living
E5 Central Florida Window and Door, LLC
O3,O4 C.H.E.F BBQ
K10 CHEZ GAUTIER
D13 Chloe’s Little Shoppe
Q6 Citizens Climate Lobby
E7 Classic Hits
D20-21 Clean Stitches Embroidery
E6 College of Central Florida
A2 Cremations by Marlene
E12 Crevasse's Simple Cremation
L2 Cuong Nhu of Ocala
D9 Dave's Wood Lab
B12 Department of Veteran's Affairs and Florida National Cemetery
A15 Diamond Body Piercings of Ocala
A1 Dippidy Donuts
C26 Divine Designs
L1 Dizzy Dog Designs
L5,L6 Dole Island Soft Serve
D22 Doodles Crafts
Q1 Downtown Chiropractic and Wellness Center, PA
Q5 Driftline Concessions
I2,I3,I4 E.M.S. Concessions
S4 Early Learning Coalition of Marion County
S5 Help Me Grow Marion County
N4 Education First
C13 Ellie's Rico Dulces LLC
C5 Empath Health Hospice of Marion County
B15 Empowering Health thru Nutrition / SaladMaster
B22 Endless Summer Roofing
Q2 Essenshell craft
D2 Everybodywins
C25 FABUPottery
S15 Face Painting Tonya
C11 Faye’s tiny toes and bows
S2, S3, S13 First Baptist Church - Ocala
D4 Flagsandmorestore@gmail.com
P6 Flourish & Flour Baking Co.
A16 Fly with me bungee fitness LLC
Q3, Q4 Freckles and Smoke BBQ
F1 friends product llc
B17 Gator Dreams
E17,E18 Gettel Automotive
CS11, CS12 FUN TIME FOODS
I7 Gideons
J5 Giggles Gourmet Popcorn Company
G5 GMCAD Inc.
E8 Great Expectations Realty & Property Management LLC
M9,M10,M11 Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine Inc
Food Court Gulf Atlantic Bank
F11 Gulf Harbor Soaps
H6 GWC Medical Group
C3 Handmade By Me
D7 Happy Elephant
H5 Haynes Houndmade Treats LLC
A26, A27, A28, A29 Heart of Florida Health Center
H4 Heather’s Homemade Cookies
F8 Herc
G8 Heroes Legends & Superstars
C6 Hook Art by Debbie and Gary
G1 Horse Country Clinic of Chiropractic
B23 Isaiah 117 House
F9 Jeff Bairstow
S16 Jerry's Lunch Concessions
J2 Joyce’s casserole carriers and bowl cozies
B21 K’s Beaded Kreations
D23 Kayani New York
B2 Knottyline Sunglasses
J1 Knoty Joys
N1, N2 Kona Ice Ocala
S34,S35 Kona Ice Ocala
A14 LeafFilter Gutter Protection
S21 LeafGuard
C7 Leffel Insurance Solutions
S17 Lemon Delight
S25 LifeSouth Community Blood Centers
A6 LifeVantage
H11 Little Luvin Stitches
C1 Little Porch Bakery
K6 Casa Luciana
S7 LWHS Hurricane Band Boosters
C2 Marion Chapter DeMolay
P7-P10, Q7-Q10 Marion County Animal Services
B10 Marion County Board of County Commissioners Water Resources
C18 Marion County Democratic Party
CS6 Marion County Fire Rescue
S28, S29 Marion Education Association
N5 Marion County Republican Party
E3 Media Minds
D1 Mid Florida Agencies
F10 Mikes Crafts
G9 Mismatched stitches
P1 Mmmami Empanadas
D25, D26 MOOey MOOey Skincare, LLC
A8 Mr. Lemonade
A9 Mr. Lemonade
G6, G7 Mr. Paella by Fusion Cooking
D11 Mrs Platts Peppers
K5 My feet Orthotics
P7 Nana’s Little Diva’s
B24, B25 Natural pet products
C22, C23 Newberry Animal Rescue
I11 Nothing Bundt Cakes
J6 Nut Time Snacks
C21 Ocala Business Leaders
E13 Ocala Electric
Q11 Ocala Insurance Group, LLC
L7 Ocala Massage & Integrative Therapies
E14 Ocala Tractor
D8 Old Sew n Sew
S30, S31 Ollie & Lyds LLC
C15, C16 One Queens Designs
E1 Outback Pools Fl
1A Paperpie
D15 Patti & Lynn’s Creations
G2 Phenomenal Yum
P2, P3, P4 Pioneer Garden Club of Ocala
D18 Point Grande Apartments
S10, S11, S12 Primos Kitchen
S19 Quality Craftsmen
D3 Raging
I6 Real Spices of NY
M2, M3 Red Riding Coffee
O2 Refuge of Hope IL
E4 Renewal by Andersen
A12 Rexi's Freshies LLC
C14 Rivera’s Touch
L8 Rustic gypsy designs
J3 Sacred Earth Crystals
G4 Safran's Gems LLC
B9 SakSaum
Food Court Salvation Army
B14 Sallys Fashion Hndbags
A7 Salty Paws Pet Boutique
B19, B20 Schroff’s Creations
N6, N7 Scrubland Farms
B11 Shaklee
K3 She Herbs Melanated
AA3 Six Jewels Boutique
S6 Sleepy Siren Stitches
A10 Smellie Bits
J4 SNAILWORLD Snailery and Boutique
A20, A21 Sol cup
S18 Sour Mouth Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
G10 Suncatchers by Bling Creations
B6, B7 Sunshine Western Hats
J10, J11 Supreme Lending & Majestic Oaks Realty
N3 Suzanne’s creations
B8 Sweet Berry farms LLC
A11 SWEET BOTTOMS AROMATHERAPY
D10 Tasforchrist services
B18 TCCRAFTS
S14 Teddy Bear Mobile of Gainesville
D12 Tee’s Petites and Treats
F9 Texas Roadhouse
A5 The Alchemist’s Oven
I 1 The Baldwin Group Health Insurance
K4 The Corn Soup king
D19 The Corn Stars ⭐️
F5, F6 The Dancing Empanada LLC
I5 The Fizzy Feline mobile soda bar
S20 The Fostering Foundation
A24, A25 The Frozen Kiwi
E16 The JOY FM
C4 The Kelly Garcias and Co
E19, E20 The Krafty Kettle, LLC
S8, S9 The MAC
B5 The Nutty Snack Shack
S32, S33 The ocean grill & more
CS9, CS10 The Wild Bloom Mobile Bar
C7, C8, C9 Tiki Grill
K1 Timeless Treats
C12 Timeless Weld Permanent Jewelry
R1 Tim's Train Rides
S1 Tiny Tot Bundles
H7 Tres Corda Designs
M4, M5 Troop 777 & 9777 Revealing Truth Ministries
G11 Tropical Drinks
H1, H2 Tupperware with Dee and Cris
O6 Uncle Phils Fudge
E9 UnitedHealthcare
C20 Unity Family Community Center
P5 VETERANS HELPING VETERANS USA
E15 VITAS Healthcare
D16, D17 Voices Of Change Animal League (VOCAL)
B13 Woodside Baptist Church
K2 Worthmann Roofing & Gutters
L4 Yans kettle corn
C7, C8, C9 Tiki Grill

03/03/2026

🗓️ Save the Date!!! 🗓️

✨✨ March 19th ✨✨

🍽️ Texas Roadhouse 🍽️
3015 SW 32nd Ave
Ocala, FL

MTRA will have a booth located outside of the restaurant. Diners need to bring in the flyer that evening, and MTRA will receive 10% of the bill helping support our mission here at MTRA!