Post by hayleyj on Jun 19, 2005 23:13:58 GMT -5
I got out of my old 1987 suburban with my friend erin as we walked into the stable of praying hands ranch, coming back to that familiar smell of the horses. first we groom them, and hop onto their backs as we exercise them before the day ahead full of classes with the disabled children. We trot around the in-door arena and stop at evry obstacle and then head outside to the trails, we go faster and faster, these horses LOVE running, I am riding anne and erin is riding poe, although he is a bad horse when you are leading him, hes great when its just you, him and the trail. We have two hours before the kiddos start to get here for their therapy with the horses. we take anne and poe back into the stable and do the rutine again and again and again, lastly we get to ride our favorite horses, Erin is riding Norman, this adorable arabian cross that is great with the kiddos, and I am riding pee-wee ('lil p) who is too young and too curious to b working with the children, but he is in training. We take the horses back into the sable, tie 'em up and groom them once again. We get our first patients, Erins got Maddison, who is a total hoot. She's hilarious. VERY hyper and adorable. I've got Craig James. He was in a car accident, and now is partially paralized, and can't speak very well. He's doing LOTS better now, though, and can do a lot of things with his left side that he couldn't when he started. The kiddos come w/ treats in their hands, ready to give to their trusty horse companions. These kids, normally can't do like n e thing that we so easily can do, and when they're riding a horse, they feel free, free from a wheel chair, and free from judgment that the others in the world hold to them. They get to the loading dock so eager to ride, and so sad when they hav to get off. they give their horse a big hug before climbing off and getting back into their wheelchair. It's so wonderful to see the look on their face, when they look back on their wheelchair just sitting there without them in it, and they get this big smile on their face. It's a wonderful feeling for both of them and us.