adaptive riding Archives - NCEFT National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy

And the List Goes On.

April 22, 2013 by Development Director

Often I sit down to write and the words pour out in a flurry of clacking keys, my fingers barely keeping up with everything I’d like to say. Inspired by a morning hippotherapy session, or profound progress in adaptive riding, I begin to compose sentences before even sitting down at my desk. But there are also days where my creativity can’t live up to the subject at hand, and I sit in front of a blank screen hoping for my muse to mosey by.

NCEFT is built upon the strength of volunteers and despite no fewer than four attempts at writing a thank you note, I couldn’t hit on a point of view that did justice to the people who make our job possible. I first tried to describe their otherworldly flexibility; a willingness to accept inclement weather, last minute requests, and a schedule that can only be described as dynamic. However, “tractability” is hardly our volunteers’ most admirable trait, and focusing on that alone discounts many other noteworthy qualities.

My next idea was inspired by a Buddhist concept called “mudita,” the idea of unselfish joy. While NCEFT has yet to tout itself as a Buddhist retreat, there are countless examples of mudita at work within our gates. We sometimes talk about the sacrifices volunteers make, about their selflessness and capacity for giving. What we give less recognition to is their ability to experience vicarious happiness. They give of themselves not to be rewarded directly, but to find reward in the happiness they give to others. As I tried to flesh out this perspective I found myself frustrated. How do I get across the degree to which our volunteers give; of their time, their energy, their love. Exclamation points, all caps, and italics can only go so far towards infusing written words with the emotion behind them. OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE IRREPLACABLE!!!

So, thank you. We can’t begin to list all the qualities that make volunteers so special, but we can express our deepest gratitude for bringing those qualities to our organization. With your help we touch the lives of countless children and adults. There may only be a single week dedicated to volunteers, but know that every minute you spend with us is a minute in which you are appreciated.

The World’s Best Caffeine

March 21, 2013 by Development Director

I often speak as the collective voice of NCEFT, piecing together disparate voices and experiences to form one linear story. Sometimes though, I need to tell a story as myself, and this happens to be just such a moment.

As an adaptive riding instructor I spend the better part of my afternoon trying to engage children in work disguised as games. Tempting as it may sound to play like a 9 year old, in reality it’s exhausting to be that enthusiastic, that effusive, for more than a short period of time. Intimidating as my schedule seems at 8am with the sun barely risen, the day passes more quickly than expected, aided by moments that serve to energize.

Each week like clockwork she’s there, a midafternoon boost to see me through the rest of the day. Her session starts by walking hand-in-hand through the arena gate; she’ll hold it until we reach the top of the mounting block, her attention then turning to the bay pony waiting nearby. I count to three with my fingers held up and then she’s on, throwing her leg over the pony’s back and settling into the saddle. She looks at me and I shrug, miming confusion, “What should we do?” She pats the saddle and places her hand on her chest. Go, please.

I could list all the gains she’s made—the new signs she’s learning, how she’ll hold the reins and pull up to whoa—but she’s much more than validation of my work. When we’re standing still she’ll often turn to me and pause with a smile on her face, holding that ever elusive eye contact for what seems like ages. In that moment she emerges from the periphery of being and makes a connection, “I see you” her eyes say.

Those moments are better than any can of Red Bull or espresso shot. They fill you up, contentedness working its way from the inside-out. I know everyone at NCEFT, from therapists to volunteers, have similar experiences of fulfillment. Next week I’ll go back to telling their stories, passing on the moments of joy we work so hard to help create.

Push

January 23, 2013 by Development Director

There’s a fine balance between patient and student, between therapy and riding. Being an instructor is a lesson in balance, and much like the horses we utilize, our perception is dynamic. We walk into the arena with a preconception of our student’s ability based on their diagnosis; a summary of symptoms, contraindications, and prognoses. Expectations can then be modified to accommodate so called disabilities. There. That’s the moment where student becomes patient, and consequently where we have the ability to do the most good.

For the past few weeks a rider and horse have been reshaping our perceptions. Gone is the “adaptive”, leaving only “riding” to represent her work in the arena. There are no games, no colored scarves, or Simon Says. Instead she performs intricate patterns, guiding her horse through a series of movements often beyond the grasp of able-bodied riders. And she’s told no, or not good enough, do it again. We push. We ask for more, as much as she can give. Then the moment comes when the horse softens and the stars align while she sits the trot with more poise than you thought possible.

You spin around, looking for witnesses to the harmony. “Did you see that?” We help her out of her wheelchair and onto a horse and there the accommodations end. Somewhere between the mounting block and the arena gate she goes from patient to student, on the back of the horse she becomes a woman complete.

And the List Goes On.

And the List Goes On.

The World’s Best Caffeine

Push

NCEFT: HORSES. HOPE. HEALING.

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