When I was a young girl living in New York, I remember Virginia Martin’s therapeutic riding program at Borderland Farm. I remember my mother volunteering as a sidewalker for some of the events there, and I was immediately in awe of the entire program, the riders…everything. Helping people reach goals other claimed were unattainable AND horses? Horses that seemed to be able to read minds and communicate on a much higher level than we humans could ever dream? Yes, please.
When we moved to Georgia, I immediately became interested in therapeutic riding programs. Of course, I was only ten at the time so volunteering was out of the question. I believe it was around this time that NARHA (now PATH International) had a rule about volunteers being at least fifteen years of age. When I turned fourteen, my mother contacted a therapeutic riding program in our area: Good Life Therapeutic Riding Center. The director told us to come down for an interview. It was a forty minute drive each way, but I had supportive parents that made the trek.
After the director of the program determined I was mature and responsible enough to volunteer at the age of fourteen, I started actually volunteering. I did everything from basic grooming, feeding, tacking, test-riding, sidewalking, help “instruct” (showing riders what to do,) etc. I was in Heaven. I met incredible riders with various challenges to overcome. My favorite duo was a blind woman and her riding pal, another young woman with spina bifida. When we had open houses at the center, one of my favorite moments was an exhibition ride (nothing fancy - just W/T around the ring and then outside of the ring) with the duo and their horses. The young woman with spina bifida acted as the blind woman’s eyes. I should mention that the blind woman could mount/dismount unassisted (except for people standing by to ensure she didn’t fall, etc.) and could ride better than some folks without vision impairments.
A few years later, the program director retired, and the program was ended (and picked up by someone else in the area under a different name.)
I went off to college, and I attempted to volunteer at a program near my university, but they weren’t licensed and seemed to be more into it for the money. I graduated college, took care of terminally-ill grandparents, fast forward to now.
While many of my peers were sitting around feeling sorry for turning 30 (30? Sorry for turning 30?! I don’t think so) I decided that what I do now as a career wasn’t satisfying. The satisfaction I receive is a paycheck and a safe and sane work environment. I had no issues with my career, but it wasn’t what I wanted in life. I wasn’t DOING anything.
I sought out a therapeutic riding program, and as luck would have it, one was located fifteen minutes from our house.
My “excitement” is that after I put a stamp on the documents sitting on my desk, I will officially be an “Instructor in Training” for PATH International Certification. The current instructor at the program is almost as excited as I am. She can’t wait to be my mentor.
I am even more happy that DH is supportive of me. No, I’m not quitting my job. The program operates two days a week, and one of those days is Saturday. I will be doing my volunteer and instructor “checklist” on Saturdays and then a 2-3 day certification seminar (aka “the long way to get certified” versus going off for 6 weeks, not feasible, to be certified.)
I finally feel like someone has said, “yes! you found out what I wanted you to find out!”
