More Than a Pony Ride.....

That's what our tag line is, "More than a pony ride".  At Hope, Horses & Kids, we have always had the philosophy  that our clients can do anything, we don't limit them.  It doesn't matter what their challenge is, we still ask them to try.  It's all about life skills and learning to be able to get along in the world.  What that means is we encourage the kids to help us get the horses ready to ride by grooming them and assisting with tacking and un-tacking.  When we  host EFMP (Exceptional Family Members Program) we have 10-15 kids and their parents at the barn.  Today, we saddled up Ping Pong and Rojan and had Toby in the arena for grooming and leading.  In all the hustle and bustle I forgot our purpose - to get the kids involved in the process!  Connie reminded me, so I reminded the kids and parents.   So, today, we had EVERYONE lead Toby through the obstacle course and everyone rode.  The kids also participated in un-tacking the horses.  That process makes for a much more fulfilling visit for everybody.  We had a wonderful session  today.

We also had a young man from College Living Experience out this afternoon.  CLE is an organization that  provides assistance to college students with autism, Asperger's, learning disabilities, and other special needs to become independent adults.  Evan comes out on Saturdays and assists with lessons and is learning how to do the barn chores.  He's learning life skills such as time management, following directions, effective communication and more.  It's so much fun to watch him learn and grow.  Thank you, Sarah, for the opportunity!

Next week is going to be busy!  I'll keep you all posted!

God Bless.