By BETH VRABEL For Smart
Riding for a cause
What is therapeutic riding?
If you have a disability, such as needing mobility or you need limbs to be loosened, we use the motion of the horse to do that type of therapy instead of a machine or therapist manipulating the body.
If it’s a mental disability, if they can’t function and do sequencing, this gives them a format in an arena where they learn these everyday abilities.
We work on all types of disabilities. We have students with age ranges from 3 to 89.
How has Shining Stars helped students?
There was a little boy, he was 8 years old. He never spoke. He had cerebral palsy. We had a team getting him on the horse, talking about the plan for that day.
He said out loud as plain as day, “Walk on” to the horse. It was his first words. He was impatient and wanted to go.
The parents were crying.
There was a little girl, who was 4, who took her first steps six weeks after riding the horse. It straightened her legs enough to take a few steps.
What’s the best part of your job?
Seeing the success stories and the interaction with the families. The families are tremendous. They go through so much on a daily basis. To see them sit back and relax when they’re in the program, it really benefits the whole family.
We have a counseling team that works with the whole family. We have a theater camp, too. We have discipleship class.
What’s the most difficult part?
We are confined to four months of riding. We’re working hard to build an indoor arena. It’s difficult to be so confined to a few months.
How many students?
We enroll 70 students. We have a waiting list of another 30 students.
What is the cost involved?
Students pay $12 a lesson. If they can’t afford it, we find scholarships. To run the program is very expensive.
Do you have a favorite memory?
A little boy who is autistic had a brother who would come and sort of acted like a interpreter.
His brother had music along with him from their week at vacation Bible school. When he played a song, all of the kids and volunteers came around and sang “Jesus Loves Me” to the little boy. You could feel God’s love.
When did you begin riding?
Professionally, I was 19 years old.
I grew up in Baltimore. I worked at a youth ranch when I was a teenager. I ended up
marrying the head wrangler, and that helped a lot.
You were a 1993 World Champion trick rider on the rodeo circuit. Do you still do trick riding?
I trick ride for the kids. I stand on the horse and that type of thing. The kids are still impressed.
Are you open to new volunteers?
Always.
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