After completing my first week of volunteering at Horses for Hope, I have come away with a deeper understanding of the human-horse bond more so than ever before. Since I have been giving horseback riding lessons for several years, and my brother was in a therapeutic riding program for a short time, I regret to admit that I have never considered what it would be like to work with a child or adult that has special needs-- whether it be physical, mental, or emotional.
Since working with only a handful of children this week, I cannot explain the joy it brings me to contribute to the equine community in such a positive way. Instead of showing off my own knowledge or competing for a ribbon, I am actually using my skills and passion to help others.
So far at Horses for Hope, I have assisted in catching lesson horses out of the pasture, teaching children and other volunteers the basics of grooming a horse, tacking horses both English and Western, leading horses with children and side walkers, and walking down trails with fun obstacles for the kids to interact with as they ride. I don't feel like the tasks I have completed are anything monumental or amazing, but just being able to say things like, "Yes, I taught someone how to tack a horse today," and "I love the way that child smiled by the end of his session today," and especially, "I made a difference today," are priceless rewards.
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