{ckrh}

last semester i had the pleasure of working with a client who participated in therapeutic riding.  his family could see a huge growth in his muscle strength, coordination, verbal output, and overall happiness.

after they talked about it, i decided to look into volunteering and went through the training at central kentucky riding for hope.  it's a nonprofit organization at the horse park that does therapeutic riding for all ages and abilities.

from a young age, i was your typical girl.  i wanted a pony.  my parents calmly explained that i could own a horse if i saved a lot of money for the horse itself, boarding, food, lessons, a truck and trailer (the list can go on and on).  needless to say, i took riding lessons for a few years, but a horse was not in my future.

secretly, there is still a little girl inside of me who wants to grow up and have horses, but honestly, volunteering may be better.

every monday, i get off work, change, and head up 75 to the horse park.  i muck some stalls, love on some of my favorite horses, help with barn work, groom horses, pull and tack up horses for lessons, and i get to lead during a few lessons.  the kids are so fun.  seeing the joy on their faces when they're on top of the horse and how attentive they are to what's being taught is great.  today, the teacher was teaching horse body parts and asked a little girl if she had a tail like the horse.  she turned around to look at her rump and replied, 'i don't think so!'.  it was adorable.

i really love having a day where i get to serve others, but have fun doing it.  i get my horse fix (it's part of the reason i came to ky after all!), and it's a nice time to relax when school is getting crazy.

http://www.ckrh.org/