MISSION and HISTORY

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9.

God placed the thought of New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding, Inc., in my heart when I was in college. I was reading a book about a horsewoman who owned a farm and became disabled. While working through her healing process and learning how to live her new life with her disability, she develops a program for individuals with disabilities at her farm. This idea fascinated me of combining my love of horses with my love for people and became a long-term dream and goal for me. It would be over 10 years before God put into action the plan He set in my heart.

I was married and had two children and we owned a 24 acre farm when I discussed starting a program with Doug, my husband. He knew of my dream and goal even before we were married. I discovered there was an association (at that time NARHA, now PATH, Inc.) that had guidelines and certifications to help create a solid Therapeutic Riding organization. I began organizing and creating a board and becoming certified. My goal was to start with 6 and no more than 12 students between the ages of 6 and 18 and no more than 2 days a week. The lessons could fit easily into my life being a mom and wife. The program ran as a totally volunteer program and began in Fall of 1997 with 3 horses and 3 riders and one instructor, one day a week.

God must have laughed at all my limitations I had put on the program because it was shortly after the conception of NBTR that we were running full and expanding programs and days and the age limits for riders. NBTR became a full-time volunteer career for me with the help of several others. Eventually, we added some paid staff and trained more certified instructors and became a Mentoring Center for other programs. NBTR became the second largest therapeutic Riding center in the state of Kentucky.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21.

I have learned more lessons than I ever taught and was blessed through the wonderful volunteers and students that I met over the years at NBTR. May the Lord guide and direct NBTR into many more years of service to all who are there.

Julie Peterson (R. I.P. March 26, 1965 – August 13, 2026)