Ride For Joy

"I guess it all started when I began communicating on the internet with a guy named 'Cowboy'."



---It's not what you might think, although I'm sure there are some very interesting stories that begin with that exact phrase. This is one of them; but in a different way.

Cowboy is a very good-looking, big, strong....horse. He is one of the therapeutic horses with Ride for Joy, a program that teaches special needs kids to ride.

The afternoon found my daughter, her sidekick friend, and myself cruising up Pierce Park in Boise towards the Pierce Park Stables, about ten minutes out of town. After passing the elementary school and the golf course, older neighborhoods gave way to wide open spaces with rolling hills and lots of sagebrush. Up and down the hills we rolled, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the beauty of the area. I thought to myself that this would be a great place to go hiking. Just then I spotted a trail head with a parking lot. My next thought was that this would be a good road to ride a bike on. Two seconds later we saw a herd of cyclists. I wasn't going to chance it by thinking that this would be a good place for a parade...

The pavement ended and turned to gravel and I knew that we must be getting close.

The stables weren't hard to find; the arena is huge, with the surrounding grounds nestled into some high Idaho hills, bumpy with the desert grass and sagebrush. The backdrop of the sky was a cornflower blue. There were clusters of mature trees lining the driveway, giving the entrance a welcoming feel. This is where I would want to live, if I were a horse.

The moment we got out of the car, a pretty blond cowgirl approached us. She held out her hand and said, "Are you the 'blogger'?" (Wow, a title!) Valerie James (the Executive Director) had been expecting me, and was ready to play the tour guide.

One of the first things she was sure to show me, was the Hansen-Rice work trailer. Ride For Joy was in need of on-site office space, and a place for their staff and volunteers to take breaks. Since construction was slow, and a friend of theirs had a connection to the contractor, one thing led to another and they had the use of the trailer, which not only housed their office, but the tack supplies, too. She wanted me to take a picture and to spread the word that they were very, very grateful. Interestingly enough, Hansen-Rice helped to build the Idaho Center, where the Snake River Stampede will be held again this year.

Another trailer was filled with 'toys'. I didn't understand; were these toys for the... horses? What did that have to do with riding? No, they were toys for the kids. Therapeutic toys that assisted in their learning while learning to ride. There were boxes and boxes of them, brightly colored with interesting shapes. The type of toys you'd see at the best grandma's house, a grandma that cares enough to get things that will help you to learn, as well as have fun.

We entered the arena and I noticed something right away. This place was extremely organized and meticulously maintained. In one corner were the mommies of the kids, with chairs and tables for their comfort as they watched their riders at their lessons. Each one of them had a calm, relaxed smile. Valerie mentioned that some of these mothers don't often get a break from their caregiving; and that this is a nice respite for them. The know that their children are having fun, and they can take it easy for up to forty-five minutes, the length of the session.

I looked around and spotted 'Cowboy'. He is, I am learning (and let me just see if I can say this correctly): a sixteen-hand-red-dun-quarter-horse-gelding. (Phwew!) In other words, one heck of a good-looking horse. I admitted to Valerie that I had a thing for Cowboy. She grinned and said, "We all do." That's when I knew that Cowboy had many women in his life...I wasn't the only one. And good for him. Every soul that crosses Cowboy's path benefits greatly from knowing him...he is, after all, a therapy horse.

Ride For Joy is very careful with its horses. Usually only staff or well-trained volunteers are allowed to handle them. They want to limit how many people are interacting with them, because these animals are easily burnt out, being 'caregiver' horses. Think of the people you know that are in any sort of a caregiver role, and you will understand. There has to be a certain amount of pampering that is accompanied with the caregiving, or there will be a high turnover. Hence, the horses are given a good trail ride once a week for their own mental well-being and recreation, and are exercised six days a week in some way. They were well-groomed and shiny; the sign of a steadfastly maintained animal. Valerie said that they could be 'show' ready at any time; however, they were trained for the job of a therapeutic riding horse, not to be shown. This was their quality, nevertheless. She laughed and said that most people expected to see some old, retired horse when they first visited the volunteer program's facility and were very surprised. These horses have all had prior careers in their other lives.

I was shown the special helmets that were custom fitted for each child. I was told that it was taking a large chunk out of the lesson time each week to have to readjust the community-property helmets to properly fit each rider. Donors got wind that there was a need for individual helmets, and stepped up to the plate. The table-full of helmets with child's names printed on them were proof of that. As I looked at each helmet, it made what Ride For Joy was doing even more real to me. There was a story behind each helmet. A success story, if I were to guess. One never knows just what it took to get that special needs child to this point, where they were riding a big strong horse on the beautiful grounds of the private stables. I couldn't take my eyes off those little helmets, thinking about that.

But it went far beyond helmets. The staff at Ride For Joy were picky about the all-round 'fit'. A child that was of a smaller build might need to ride on 'Buttons', because she is a slimmer, more petite horse. A tinier child might also benefit from an english saddle, because that is thinner, as well. The temperament of the horse and child are considered. If these don't flow, they can be switched out. Nor are they afraid to switch out instructors, if a child would benefit more from a firmer style, or a more soft-spoken style, depending on the rider. The horses themselves have learned to be sensitive to their riders; they know each child well and might know that, for example, 'Sally' is one that is prone to leaning to her left a lot, because she favors that side for whatever reason. The instructors also communicate very well with each other, often brainstorming about how to help the child progress faster, and what needs to be tweaked, and commenting on their observances during any given session. It's a custom fit, all the way around, in every aspect imaginable.

As we were talking, Valerie was suddenly told to turn on the music by an instructor calling out to her from the middle of the arena. She smiled and quickly switched it on. "Boot Scoot Boogie" was the selection. We watched the riders go around to the railings where there were boots waiting for them. The riders scooped them up with their hands, then rode toward a boot repository, where they plunked them in. This was just one of the games they played to build their skills; and the kids were loving it.

After the session, I had time to talk with both Teri Argo and Valerie James. Teri is the Program Manager/Head Instructor, and the one who told me all about the program in the first place.

I couldn't help but think that they looked like two girls at play. This was clearly their passion. In talking with Teri, I learned that she'd been an Occupational Therapist, which is how she firat learned about therapeutic riding for children. It began to dawn on me that she'd given up a much more lucrative career to be able to do this. I asked her about this. She assured me that she'd loved being an Occupational Therapist; but that this was her 'niche'. Looking at the smile on her face, I was not about to question that. Valerie had the same look, and was probably thinking the same thing. If I were to only have one word to describe these women, that word would be 'gratitude'. They quickly mentioned that they had 'married well', expressing a deep appreciation for their husbands that supported them in having this type of career.

When I asked them about the changes they've seen in the children they assist, I couldn't write it all down fast enough. Core strength. Social interaction. Empathy. Speech improvement. They called these 'spillovers'...when one facet of life is improved upon, they all are. They told me of the mother of an autistic child that has one 'precious' hour after each session, where her child will interact with her and be able to have a conversation. That mother seizes that opportunity, taking the child out to eat, and other activities after having ridden the horse, where they can communicate. This is a window she might not have had otherwise. The parents are charged thirty-dollars per session, about a fifth of the actual cost. What a bargain. What would one pay to be able to get through to their autistic child? Thirty dollars seemed like an incredible deal.

They can never get enough donations. Were it not for the donors, there would be no program. Valerie told me of an anonymous donor that gave three-thousand-dollars last year, and how helpful that had been. She was so thankful, she called the I.C.F., which was the organization that the donor had contributed through, to see if she could contact that person to tell them how grateful they were. But it was to be kept anonymous, that was the deal. This year, facing severe financial difficulty, Valerie picked up the phone and once again called the I.C.F. She asked them if that same donor would be willing to once again donate money, this time to the amount of two-thousand dollars.

I stood there with my mouth open, thinking how hard it would be to make a call like that. I mentioned this. Valerie shrugged, "We're a non-profit. You get used to doing that."

And I was introduced to the world of non-profits. They wouldn't even be in existence, if not for the generosity of others. This is what Ride For Joy lives and breathes on. Valerie was trying to save something good; and something like her pride wasn't going to stand in the way of asking for help for a very worthy cause. People that love riding believe in what they do; and these women and volunteers are sharing that with others, for the greater good....and giving others the opportunity to assist in this, whether it be financially or through volunteering.

A touching ending to the 'donor' story. They found out, after the second donation, the name of that donor. This woman was invited to visit the Stables, and see for herself how her money had been put to good use. After being given the same tour that I'd received (complete with Hansen-Rice trailer!), and observing a session with the children, this donor proclaimed that it was 'money well spent.'

'Riding For Joy.' ...it is unclear just who is getting the most benefit, here. The children? The instructors? The parents? The donors?

We may never know for sure. But one thing is certain: they need to just keep right on riding.



Copyright (c) Amy Larson 2010. All Rights Reserved.



Visit Ride for Joy at http://www.rideforjoy.org/index.html

--And visit the Snake River Stampede on Facebook. The rodeo's calling your name....and it's getting louder.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/SnakeRiverStampede?ref=ts