They say when you dream, you should aim for the stars, and settle for landing on the moon.  For Jennifer Maynard, the moon was not enough. Not even close! Jennifer wanted the actual stars.  And when you meet Jennifer, you will quickly realize that when she wants something done, well, she gets it done!

Our story really begins in the early 70’s, when Hilary (Boal) Oswald came from Ireland as a riding instructor and started PRDA (then, Pacific Riding for the Disabled Association, now Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities) out of the Southlands Riding Club. Jennifer Maynard used to volunteer for PRDA and loaned some of her Pony Meadows school ponies for the program. This experience exposed Jennifer to the benefits and challenges of therapeutic riding.   Fast forward to the late 90s and early 00s, when Pony Meadows had, amongst its students, some PRDA graduates. In an incredible feat of stars being aligned, Pony Meadows happened to have a neighbour who was a certified therapeutic riding instructor, Carrie Schuliger, and she began to teach Pony Meadows’ special needs students.  When Carrie left, she suggested we create an independent certified therapeutic program.

Fast forward to 2004. Jennifer and a number of dedicated mothers created STaRS (and Jennifer will want you to know she came up with the name…do not contradict her on this!).  Goats, pigs, chickens and a cob oven in a therapeutic riding centre? You bet. Better still, to get there you don’t even have to leave the City of Vancouver.

Southlands Therapeutic Riding Society (STaRS) is located in Southlands Village on the same site as Southlands Heritage Farm. This means that riders experience not only the joy of riding a horse, but also a diverse and inclusive community on a beautiful working farm.  STaRS began as a dream in the early 2000’s, and through the dedicated efforts of a core group of volunteers, became a reality. It began as a grassroots operation, and today, is a Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CANTRA) certified facility and a registered non-profit society.

We are very proud of our program and of our privileged location within the Southlands community.