Ponies and Kids

So proud of all the students throughout the years. We will miss everyone, volunteers and students alike. Thanks for a great 5 years.

Having been in this community for years, we have needed a program that can reach out to youth and to adults alike. Horses have that ability. This program has so much potential to expand and grow. Using horses as a tool for outreach and growth has been successful and I hope that Wilene will be able to make this happen again!

Ponies and Kids has provided a wonderful opportunity for kids and parents alike in our community. They have molded numerous young people into happy, motivated, caring, outgoing young adults. Their open programs and open hearts have served the community well.

It gives me great satisfaction that Ponies And Kids has touched all the kids we have. Harrison academies came this summer and our leadership kids got to introduce those kids to our horses. It was a great time. We made kids that struggle on a daily basis with learning disabilities a chance to get to know a horse. It was a great accomplish for each and everyone of the kids. Our leadership members learned compassion and satisfaction.

I love this place, it was like another world but better and I was a rider and I am very sad to see this place closing although I was there only over the summer but even in that short time I fell in love with a horse named Cody, because we were almost exactly alike and I'm sad because I know that I won't be able to ride him at Ponies and Kids anymore but while I was there I had an amazing friendship with all the riders that were there as well, I just wish they could stay open!!- Zackary Morrison P.S. thank you Wilene for making this an amazing part of my life along with all the riders that were there with me :)

It is so sad that this organization isn't able to keep it's doors open! There are so many families that could benefit and have benefitted from this program. Anna - my daughter, is a student of Wilene's and has made many fond memories at Ponies and Kids thanks to you. What a heart ache! Thank you Wilene for giving it your heart and soul - and making so many kids happy these past years. I'm so sorry your vision for the barn didn't come true, Lafayette area will never know what a great experience this could have been for so many people in our community!

My son has sensory issues. I've tried in the past to take him to petting zoos, hands on experience activities, etc. He doesn't do so well and we often have to leave. However, at Ponies and Kids, he did great! It was the first time that he had ever ridden a pony! I had tried to take him for a pony ride elsewhere before - but it didn't go so well. I am ever so grateful to Ponies and Kids that my son was able to have this experience. When I asked about future lessons, the owner told me that they are struggling financially to keep their doors open as they are a nonprofit agency. They are in desperate need of an indoor facility. I would hate to see this organization close its doors as they provide a wonderful service to the community. They truly make a difference in the lives of children with developmental/sensory problems. I would hope that our community could find a way to support this organization and help them to thrive.

I contacted Wilene at Ponies and Kids about helping my American Heritage Girls troop earn their horsemanship badge. My daughter has wanted lessons for a really long time, but I always thought they were out of reach because we would nevwr be able to afford them long term. Wilene loves kids and feels that any kid should be able to be around horses regardless of their backgrounds or finances!! She is a true inspiration to me. My daughter and I are extremely grateful for her and the other moms that are around. She loves the kids and wants so much to be able to provide more scholarships for kids and help these kids find friends with these horses. I have only known them for a short while, but I truly feel like these are our horses too. I love the way that she has the girls take ownership. I would love to see Ponies and Kids be able to have as much help as possible!! It is truly an amazing experience!

Great organization! I am very happy to volunteer with PAK. It is run by very caring people who provide wonderful ponies for kids to discover their passion for horses. Wilene Gillim is an excellent trainer and she and her students both give very good instruction.

Ponies and Kids is an amazing organization that gives kids and adults, including myself, a wonderful opportunity to experience and interact with these wonderful creatures. While I've been with PAK I've been able to grow stronger in my abilities on how to properly care for these horses as well as learning the proper management techniques required to raise these animals. PAK has been able to teach me valuable safety precautions needed when working with horses as well as the responsibilities required to take care of horses. I've also been able to grow in my teaching abilities when I've assisted with the many lessons and parties offered through this organization. Ponies and Kids is a very welcoming and friendly environment that allows people to relieve their daily stresses as well as finding peace and quite when working with these amazing animals! I highly recommend that anyone who wants to get more involved in horses and learn the important responsibilities needed should come to PAK! The teaching and management at PAK is done in a professional and friendly manner and are openly willing to teach and accept new riders and volunteers every day! This organization is a family owned and family friendly place that allows kids of all ages to enjoy the special qualities that these animals can give us! I highly recommend that people donate, volunteer, and become involved with Ponies and Kids!

We were thrilled with our intial experinece at PAK. But shortly after the adult supervision decreased significantly and became a safety concern. The high school instructors are responsible for almost all the lesson objectives. Riders are encouraged to volunteer for maintence duties while often being unsupervised. The monthly lesson payments were due even if lessons are cancelled due to weather or riding conditions and not rescheduled as promised. Often these cancellations were communicated very poorly. The overall quality of lessons and conditions have much to be desired.

It is an honor to be on the board for Ponies and Kids (PAK). The barn provides a safe haven for many children, and it teaches important life skills such as responsibility, hard work, and patience. The horses get kids off the couch and outside where they can breathe the fresh air and get much-needed exercise. The barn becomes a family, a place where strong friendships are made between humans and horses. PAK builds future leaders.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Wilene Gillim and all of the hard-working people at Ponies and Kids. My daughter has attended their summer camp two summers in a row and would spend all of her time out there if we could afford it! She has learned so much from them--not just all aspects of horse care, but also confidence and self-worth. It has been such a positive experience for her and in turn, for us as her parents as well. She always comes home so happy with the care and treatment she has received from everyone at Ponies and Kids and then being able to ride and take care of the horses while she's there is just the best! It's been amazing to see the transformation that she goes through while being a part of the Ponies and Kids family. It has really helped her self-confidence and brings her out of her shell.

She is going to start volunteering at Ponies and Kids and taking lessons. She is so excited!!

Thank you so much for your part in supporting Ponies and Kids and all of the great things they do for the ponies and horses in their care and the children!

Sincerely,

Leigh Ann Sproles
Ivy Tech School of Nursing student

My daughter doesn't feel like she belongs much of the time. She is thoughtful, sensitive, anxious, a lover of animals, and doesn't express interest in a most typical activities in which a child her age would have an interest.

She had the opportunity to go to Ponies and Kids as part of a summer camp a couple of years ago and it quickly became clear she had found her passion. She returned the following summer, and again this past summer. She spent as much time at Ponies and Kids as we would allow and was feasible. When she is unable to go to Ponies and Kids she misses it a great deal.

My daughter feels safe at Ponies and Kids and has developed a relationship with the horses and everyone there. She continually asks when she can go see one horse in particular because he calms her. It is clear Wilene and Scott have poured their hearts and souls into this organization and this is what makes being there special.

While I live too far away from PAK to actively participate, I did donate a horse /pony earlier this year. I knew he was talented but he was too small for a larger adult like myself to work with. It has been wonderful to follow this horse's progress via PAK's facebook site, and I am incredibly thankful to this great organization that helps not only kids but also horses unlock their potential!

Having recently moved to the West Lafayette, IN area from Illinois I was looking for just the right volunteer opportunity to get more involved with my new community. I found Ponies and Kids using the volunteer database on the United Way of Greater Lafayette website. Part of their vision is to give kids whose families' might not have the financial means an opportunity to become a part of the horse world - learn about their care, how to ride and show, and more. My daughter was painfully shy growing up and caring for her own horse, learning to ride and show, and helping out at the barn is what kept her grounded. I'm not sure either one of us would have made it through her teenage years without her involvement with horses. Experiencing firsthand the expenses of this sport I wanted to help other kids have the opportunity to participate in activities with horses. I admire the dedication of Wilene and Scott Gillim to this organization and its vision.

My daughter has been a part of Ponies and Kids for nearly 2 years. It immediately became her home away from home. I am quite sure she would rather be there than anywhere on earth. She has a strong connection with the horses and her "barn friends". She has learned work ethic as well as riding skills. The true value at Ponies and Kids is not measured by the student's riding skills but rather the impact that the organization has made in their lives. I have seen my daughter's confidence soar, her leadership skills grow daily, and she has learned many lessons in respect. Ponies and Kids truely has made a significant impact in the lives of many youth.

My daughter has gained so much from going to Ponies and Kids. She, of course, has gained riding skills. More importantly, however, she has gained skills that will help her through her teen years and beyond. For example, she has a high confidence level from working with the horses. Because of the opportunities that Ponies and Kids has provided, she has developed leadership skills. She was able to work as a junior counselor for the horse camp, and that opportunity shifted her entire perspective of herself. She started growing in self-assurance and showed great pride in her work (no small miracle when you consider the typical self-esteem of a middle school girl). From doing barn work she now has a good understanding of what it means to care for animals. This has motivated her to think about veterinary medicine as job. She has many years to decide what she will do for a career, but I am just happy that I have a young, teenage girl who is willing to work hard at math and science for a goal. Thank you, Ponies and Kids, for making this happen!

Ever since my daughter Anna was a small little toddler, living just outside the big city of Chicago, she has had a great fondness for horses. Honestly, I don't remember how her love of them came about ~ after all, we really hadn't had much exposure to horses where we lived. She would trot around our small backyard doing what looked like a horses' gallop moving her head forward and back, making horse noises! It was really a funny sight to watch. Anna is the youngest of three and unfortunately gets pushed around a bit by her older siblings. I think it is difficult for the youngest to figure out exactly how they fit in, what role do they take in their family, in life.. etc. When we moved here to West Lafayette we were fortunate enough to learn about Ponies and Kids. One thing led to another, and we seem to spend quite a bit of time with the horses there. It was never in the family budget to allow Anna to pursue her love of horses, Lord knows we can't afford to purchase one! Ponies and Kids has made it possible for us to allow Anna a few lessons that are within our budget. Anna is almost 9 now, and she is in her element being around the horses and ponies! She is really becoming a super confident girl and I'm so very amazed at how she can take charge of such a large animal! I even see differences in her at home when interacting with her older sisters. Because of her sense of accomplishment when she is able to command her pony, being able to feel responsible for them (it is quite a job to feed and water), Anna carries herself differently. She has a great sense self worth and purpose! She's a great student in school, but beyond that, if it weren't for Ponies and Kids, she says she'd be bored! And you know what they say "idle hands..." So, thank you Wilene and Ponies and Kids! What a positive influence you've been in our lives. I hope you get the funding needed for the indoor arena the kids and horses so desperately need!

My 12 year old daughter Madison started taking lessons at Ponies and Kids 6 months ago. I never knew what an impact it would have on her. Wilene is a great instructor who has taught her so much not only about horses but also life lessons such as respect, team work, trust, dedication, and what she can achieve with hard work. Ponies and Kids has quickly become our favorite place. I love volunteering for them as it is truly a great organization!

I have been a student of wilenes since I was 6 or 7. Now I'm almost 14 and I love ponies and kids. I have learned so much about horses and riding. Now I help wilene teach younger students. It's a great organization and anyone who is horse crazy will love it.

I brought one of my disabled clients I serve to Ponies and Kids. Wilene not only taught him a lot about horses, but gave him the attention he loves. We both had a ton of fun and learned a lot from her.

This is a wonderful organization that was founded by me!. I am executive director. Please visit www.poniesandkidsorg to see all the programs we offer our local youth. I am proud of all our volunteers and parents that help with our organization. It is amazing to see how horses and ponies effect the local youth.