It's already Tuesday morning! Good grief, time goes by so quickly! Yesterday was a busy day at The Buckeye! Salinas High brought 11 students out and they sat on the vaulting barrel, groomed horses and attempted the "scary" obstacle course in the arena. I'll post some pictures of the vaulting barrel. This seems like an easy activity, but for most of the kids just getting on the barrel is a big accomplishment. Several of them performed the flag AND stood up! It was amazing to see the look on their faces. Priceless! I'll post pictures this week. After the barrel work, a few of the students attempted the obstacle course in the arena. We put up our obstacle with the pool noodles and the kids led Hazel through that and 4 or 5 other obstacles. Moving the course work into the arena (from the parking lot) adds a whole new dimension to the work. The kids now have to deal with deep sand, a much larger area and new distractions. As usual, they all nailed it! It occurred to me after the session that it's really all about self confidence. Every task we give the students builds their self-confidence, not matter how small that task may seem to you and I. They are truly amazing. The staff that accompany this group are extremely dedicated and are so much fun to work with. I visited the school after our session and shared the successes with Mrs. Peterson, the Principal. She will be coming out for a demonstration (by the kids) on October 21. So excited to have her see the kids in action! Might be a good time for a press release! And thanks to Hetty and Melinda for their help!
The end of the day brought great news - Hope, Horses & Kids is now an official Community Partner with the Service Learning Institute at CSUMB! This will open up many opportunities to work with some dynamic college kids - can't wait! As this develops I will keep you posted! Here is a picture of Emily and Emily, of the CSUMB Equestrian Team, with our lovely Miss Hazel:
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