It's a beautiful day to walk out into the TR 4 HAS arena; it's in the 50's (a bit muddy), kiddos are laughing, and many are being led around on a horse.
---It's PONY RIDES, they say---
Pony rides are a beautiful thing! Who doesn't remember their first carnival pony ride?
The happenings at TR 4 Heart & Soul are beautiful, much like that first pony ride, yet so much more!
Last week we had a young girl get to step away from her wheelchair and ride her horse. She said "I wish my friends could see me now." The tears started falling. She said, "You know some of the kids at school don't understand that my wheelchair is my legs, and I need it! They make fun of me for it." And with a big sigh she said, "I wish they could see me ride Rocky."
We see her and all our other riders, feel them, and love them. We encourage them to find this EVERYWHERE they go, regardless of their disability or trauma. TR 4 HAS allows the feeling of belonging, and once the feeling of connectedness is found, it should be found time and time again.
The very next day a young mom came with a large group. She sat back behind the group, with her head low. When asked to ride, she took a deep breath and grabbed her helmet. She said, "I relapsed, I sat in the hallway with my kids and nowhere to go." She shared more about her relapse story and what brought her to the barn that day. This young mom made a mistake; however, because of her various treatment efforts, including TR 4 HAS.... didn't continue to make the mistake. Instead, she found connection!
Lastly, we started a new program for AT RISK YOUTH...YOUTH LIVING in TREATMENT CENTERS, a lifechanging opportunity. In partnership with the Nueta Hidatsa & Sahnish College, we offered her a COLEGE CEU in Equine Studies and a PAID internship. The first youth that enrolled in the program is the first person EVER in her family to NOW attend COLLEGE!
Between these 3 lifechanging rides, we did in fact have some pony rides, some adaptive riding sessions, some Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, and some riding lessons.
You never know when that pony ride will change your life -- Be ready for it and enjoy the ride
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