Just over a year ago, we lost a horse who epitomized the phrase “Gentle Giant.” Jet black and standing 6 feet at his shoulder, Sunny the Percheron was the foundation of NCEFT’s therapeutic driving program. His sudden passing came just months after The Order of St. John, Knights Hospitaller donated the handicapped accessible carriage that Sunny so steadily pulled. Without Sunny, staff were left with no choice to but to suspend the driving program.
For some of our patients, therapeutic driving is the only opportunity they have to interact with horses. Faced with physical, sensory, or emotional disabilities that prevent them from riding, they can learn to control a horse from our specially adapted carriage. The carriage’s automatic lift allows students to do all this without ever leaving their wheelchair, eliminating difficult or uncomfortable transitions from one chair to another. Students range from children to veterans, and between the instructor, patient, and other associated staff or aides, the carriage’s four seats are always packed. It takes a certain kind of horse to pull such precious cargo, and that horse is personified by the Percheron.
Bonnie, NCEFT’s therapeutic driving instructor, has been scouring the country for another horse who fits the impossibly high standard set by Sunny. Quiet, hard-working, patient, strong, careful, generous, you name the positive adjective and there’s a good chance it’s a requirement of a therapy horse. Thanks to Bonnie’s hard work, we’ve found a couple of prospects who show promise. Now comes the equally hard part of raising the funds to get one of these old souls to California and get our students back in the driver’s seat.
NCEFT is launching a ‘DRIVE’ to purchase the new horse and ship him to our facility in Woodside, CA. Upon his arrival he’ll undergo the training necessary to step into Sunny’s colossal shoes and settle into his new life as an equine therapist. After adding up the cost of purchasing, shipping, and training the new horse, we estimate we’re going to have to raise $10,000 to make this dream a reality. A generous donor has offered a matching grant of $5000, and we’re asking for your help in raising the other half.
Join the ‘DRIVE’ with your contribution and recruit friends, family, and coworkers to donate to the cause in your name. Whomever raises the most will win the opportunity to go for a special carriage ride with the very horse they helped purchase.
Whether you love horses, support people with special needs, assist wounded veterans, or support animal-facilitated therapy, your donation, regardless of size, will make a difference in the lives of countless individuals.
