It’s hard to even begin to explain the impact SLR has had on the life of my family. We discovered SLR at an expo serving special needs children. My son has autism and made it abundantly clear to everyone within earshot that he did not want to be at this expo-he was about 7 or 8 years old. When we approached the SLR table with the nice young lady and horsey pictures he immediately calmed down and talked to her. He was actually excited about riding horses-I had no idea therapeutic riding even existed. We signed up and he loved his lessons. He was also unwittingly practicing so many exercises that complemented his Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy goals as well.
When they were short handed for his lesson, I would often step in to be his side walker. Before the end of the year I became an official volunteer to help with other students, who had quickly stolen my heart. I owned horses growing up and knew how much they helped me as a teenager, so I was not stranger to the miracles they work. I also fell in love with the program horses, staff, and other volunteers. They are all a truly great bunch of individuals who give the organization undeniable heart.
It has been about 5 years since we started at Silver Lining and now my son also volunteers, he loves to help setup fun activities for the riders, take the miniature horses for their daily walks, and help at special events. He has gained tremendous confidence working with the kind, patient people and horses at SLR. Just this week he told my husband and I that he was out exercising the minis with a group of volunteers and he really felt like he belonged. As an only child, who has special needs and attends school at home this was a pretty big milestone. We’ve tried lots of activities, groups, and schools and he’s never experienced the feeling of bonding with a group.
It fills me with great pride and joy that my son loves to help at the organization that helped him get his feet off the ground.
I started volunteering at Silver Lining Riding (SLR) a little over four years ago. I had volunteered at other therapeutic riding centers in the past but I just really fell in love with the welcoming family feel of SLR. The instructors and volunteers were so great with the riders and their families that I was moved to do more. I decided to become a certified instructor and now I am blessed to spend every day helping our riders meet their goals. Seeing the smiling faces of the kids is the best part of my day and you can just tell by their excitement to see their horse and their favorite volunteers that riding is the best part of their day as well.
This place is honestly great. I've been volunteering here since I was 15 with my Mom and I've seen some of these kids accomplish some truly amazing things. The Volunteers are so nice and welcoming to new people and the instructors handle the students so well. It's been a pleasure working alongside some of these people for so long. I've made some truly amazing memories here.
I became a volunteer with Silver Lining Riding about 8 years ago. I wanted to give back a little and figured that this might be a good way to start. I was paired with two young gentlemen who were autistic and needed help grooming the horse and then while riding. After a few weeks, I found that I was hooked. While I could walk away anytime I wanted, I did not want to have anyone else help those guys. We had a rapport where I could understand what they were asking for, sometimes just through body language. A year later I started to really understand what it was all about when I heard that they were making progress at home also! All our time spent in lessons, riding horses, was working. I look back now and realize that I have seen kids take their first steps out of the wheelchair, say their first words, become strong enough to ride without assistance and so much more!
Every year we hold a Special Olympics and Showcase recital for not just our riders but also for other therapeutic riding barns on the west side. This is an actual competition that every one of our riders looks forward to all year. We try to make it fun for the entire family too with games, vendors, food, announcer and actual trophies and ribbons. It's a lot of work however it is all worth it when you see a picture posted by one of the parents of their kid, asleep in the back seat of their car holding two trophies like they were everything to them.
I started volunteering to give back a little. Now I am passionate about this organization, what we do and get back even more than I am giving!
Silver Linings is a welcoming and open organization. They welcomed me into the training and made me feel part of the team right away. As a volunteer, I get to work with incredible instructors. I love watching our participants grow in confidence, strength and interact with the horses.
As a Board Member for this incredible organization, I am so blessed and honored to support and be part of leading SLR into the future.
What an incredible organization! I found SLR a few years ago and initially only wanted to help out an hour or 2 a week. Each week I could see and feel the incredible passion, love, and commitment to providing their students with a memorable experience, and it changed my life. I'm now a board member and dedicate many hours trying to keep up to the standard of passion I experienced so early. The instructors and board are incredible--no hurdle is too big when it comes to their students, and their life-changing experiences. We see people that are nonverbal sometimes communicating with their instructor and their horse; we have folks in wheelchairs riding and controlling their horses; we have students that struggled to sit up now sitting tall in the saddle. The mission of helping people overcome life's obstacles through equine interaction truly comes to life through the passion and incredible amount of love that flows through everyone involved.
I started working with Silver Lining Riding 8 years ago. I came in to volunteer and after witnessing the amazing impact the horses and the staff had on the students I was hooked. I became 1 of their certified riding instructors and have not looked back. I love working with the kids and the horses both. I witness students with poor balance and core strength become stronger. I see students with minimal hand eye coordination grooming, tacking and leading their horses. Balance and core strength become stronger hand eye coordination gets better and confidence grows, cooperation and team work improve, problem solving skills improve and an over all feeling of accomplishment in students as well as the volunteers and staff. I can not say enough for this amazing program and I am lucky enough to go to work everyday and do what I love helping people through equine interaction. I am truly blessed.
I started volunteering with Silver Lining Riding in 2016 and fell in love with this organization. It is such a joy to watch a student grow with each lesson, it does your heart good! Our instructors are awesome, they do a wonderful job of ensuring each student receives the best lesson plan for their needs. The volunteers are also committed to ensuring each student receives the assistance they need. The horses are well cared for and enjoy partnering with each student. Silver Lining Riding is a wonderful organization!!
I have been a volunteer and board member for Silver Lining Riding since they were founded 11 years ago. What a great organization! The instructors are passionate about developing the best lessons for their students, and they are always thinking of innovative ways to improve the programs. Silver Lining Riding's horses receive excellent care and love their jobs. The volunteers are dedicated to proving the students with support and encouragement. And the board and committees work tirelessly to support and improve the organization. What a fabulous team!
I first became aware of Silver Lining Riding as one of their clients. In 2012, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught very early, so treatment and recovery were supposed to be easy. Things didn't go according to plan. I ended up going through months of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, spent time in the hospital because of complications, and was too sick to work most days adding a financial burden to the medical one. And, my life long battle with depression almost became a life ending one. I was sick, weak, and hopeless, Enter Silver Lining Riding.
I have always loved horses, but because of money and the fact that we moved around a lot as a military family, I never got the opportunity to ride as a kid. My husband suggested that maybe I should try horseback riding as a way to help with the depression and physical problems from cancer treatment.
I talked with Amanda at SLR and she told me all about the work they did with people will all types of physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. She thought the program could at least help restore some of the core muscles I had lost and could help with my depression too. Plus, SLR had a class with older beginning adults like me.
I started riding Thursday nights with two other ladies. My husband commented on how almost immediately he could see a changes in my outlook. I began looking forward to my lessons and was constantly talking about Strawberry ('my' horse).
In September of 2013, I started volunteering with SLR wanting to give back to the organization that had given so much to me. They gave me a purpose in life and a passion that I was lacking. I have seen and experienced first hand the good that they do. I have seen fearful clients become more confident. I have seen clients with devastating physical disabilities grow in strength and learn to communicate with a horse and even succeed in competing with them. I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with these individuals every day.
Silver Lining Riding is a small organization making a big impact on their corner of the world. I hope that you will consider giving to them this #givingtuesday and throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Dawn Brown
Review from #MyGivingStory