Volunteering...

I know I've crested this subject before, but since there's a break in Wheel of Fortune, I figured I'd write about tonight's volunteering at Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship.

There's a lot of credit to be given to the ladies and men who volunteer their time for this cause. A lot of them work all year long at it, and give quite a bit of their time to making sure the lessons are successful, fun, and of course therapeutic for the riders. I've done this for two years now, and even though I drag my ass there every week, I end up having a decent time working with the students and the horses. There are a few students who I've become friendly with, and tonight I worked with one of them. She's a great little girl, very happy, fun, and excited about lessons. She's funny too - doesn't go long without a smart comment about whatever's going on. Tonight was no exception. She was nervous about the horse she was riding, because he can be very moody, and not do exactly as he's directed. He's a big guy too, which makes it difficult to direct him, if you're the lead. We had a newbie as lead tonight, and it was a bit rough, truth be told. He wasn't familiar with the horse or his role in the whole scenario, so things didn't go 'smoothly'. With an unruly horse, a virgin driver, and a skittish rider, it can be a bit awkward to get a lesson in that is actually beneficial to the rider. I try to make the best of it, cracking jokes (to which my rider friend warns me "no laughing! we'll get in trouble!" (we're supposed to be concentrating, and I end up doing about half of the concentrating I should be...

In a way the riders are like the horses... they have their little quirks, their disabilities, their shortcomings... the horses do too... they're either moody, skittish, bored, or all of the above. Lessons are a practice in patience for these animals, and they're not always up for the task at hand. So, to combine those two entities, things can get hairy. That's usually why they have two people side-walking with the student, and one person in charge of the horse (the lead). It can be fun, but it's not always about fun... there are things that are supposed to happen in order for the 'therapeutic' part of the lesson to take place. Stretching, leaning, guiding the animal to do what they need them to do for various games and tasks... It goes without saying that some days are better than others.

Overall these volunteers who run this program are excited and well meaning folks who do their very best to make the experience a good one for those who participate. I admire them for their efforts and their heart for the cause.

I don't know how long I'll be a part of this volunteer group, but I've gotten a lot from it. I'm a better person for being part of it, and I have learned quite a bit about so many things while I've worked with the horses and the riders. I've broadened my horizons. I hope to inspire friends to participate in these things, but I'm afraid I haven't been successful in that so far. Maybe some day...