When I retired I dreamed of traveling. I quickly grew weary of living out of a suitcase and waking up in a bed not my own. While reading through the classified ads while having the oil changed in my car, I noticed a volunteers needed article. It was at a horse back riding facility for people with disabilities.
I knew quite a bit about horses and absolutely nothing about people with disabilities. But I made the call not knowing that call would change my direction in life. I began volunteering about 12-13 years ago. When i am not volunteering I am usually working on newsletters, building props for drills, and other horsey/rider stuff.
I have held high paying positions in large companies but nothing beats the feeling when one of 'my' riders turns their disability into ability. No money in the world beats that feeling. I use the term 'my' riders because each and every one of them are special to me.
I started volunteering with B2B 3 + years ago when I was finishing college. I was interested because I had just recently become a horse owner and I wanted to learn more about how they could help others. B2B Staff, volunteers, riders, parents,and our horses made such an impact on my life that I became more and more involved as the months passed. One of instructors, Anita Sepko, gave me the most wonderful horse Magic who has changed me forever. I understand first hand what wonderful work horses can do. He has improved my confidence as a rider and I have essentially learned to ride on Magic. He was a great confidence builder after I took a nasty spill on another horse learning to canter. After my accident I started riding Magic all the time. The more my trainer and I worked with him, the more confident I became and the better he got. He was an amazing therapy horse before but he just kept getting better in that aspect as well. I mastered cantering as well as many other riding skills on Magic that I have now been able to transfer to other horses. It was always so wonderful to watch Magic work with our students and build their confidence... i could really relate to how they felt. I knew my horse would take care of them just like he did me and it was a privilege to watch their confidence grow. After 6 months or so, I was offered a position to coordinate volunteers for Saturday classes. I gladly took on the extra responsibility. I also started traveling to our 2 yearly out of town shows and participating in shows at home as well. I was then offered a position as Equine Manager. This position involved taking care of our herd and making sure all they were all up to date on everything. I gladly accepted this additional responsibility. I was almost finished with my bachelors degree and had chosen a professor to work with for graduate school to get my PhD to do research. I thought this would be a great way to make a difference in the world. I had taken my GRE and all I had to do was formally apply to grad school in 1 more semester. This dream came to a screeching hault when the semester before graduation my professor left the university and moved out of state. I am married, have family, animals, and Born 2 Be. I was not going to leave my home to go to grad school. I worked to try and find another professor to work with but they were not taking students or their reseach was not what i was looking for. So the grad school dream died. I was upset for awhile but then I realized something. Why did I want to do research....to make a difference in the world. A researcher can research 1 protein his entire life and never see the fruits of his labor. I realized that the responsibility I have had at B2B has indirectly, sometimes directly, made a difference in the lives of ofhers and I have seen it. I have seen the fruits of my labor. It was then, in my last semester of school, I decided I wanted to become a PATH certified therapeutic riding instructor. I knew I would have to pass a riding test, a teaching test, and several tests online. So my journey began. I started working with my trainer improving my riding skills. (Riding keeps me sane during school so this was the best place to start) I rode as much as I could and still do well in school. Toward the end of my last semester, B2B offered the PATH workshop I needed to take as part of my process to become certified. I missed one day of school and took the 3 day workshop. I learned a lot about teaching people with disabilities and a lot about safety. A few weeks later I graduated. Any guess where I was during my graduation ceremony? At B2B coordinating volunteers! ( I had no desire to go and sit with 400 people I don't know a 9 AM on a Saturday).
Once I graduated, I started student teaching under our instructors Tracy McCarty and Eva Anderson. I continued student teaching until this November when we offered the workshop with certification again. I audited the workshop and did the certification portion this time. I was so excited and overcome with emotion when I passed. I am now a PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor ready to keep making a difference! Born 2 Be not only helps people with disabilities and their families but they have changed the course my life from research scientist to therapeutic riding instructor. We do amazing work at B2B with our students and their families but sometimes our work stretches even further beyond our riders and families. That is why I like to tell my story as well. I was just a girl with a horse who wanted to learn more. Add all the love and support of this wonderful organization (riders and parents included) you end up with another person willing to dedicate their life to making the lives of others better through partnership with the horse.
Here are some pics of 2 of our riders who are as crazy about Magic as I am and a picture of me and my tag along rider Worf.