Some of us have begun to pack away Holiday décor, while others are content to let the season linger a bit longer. In either case, the year has quickly drawn to a close, giving us the opportunity to look back on what has been a wonderful 12 months.
In January NCEFT launched our inaugural “Heroes and Horsemanship” program. Groups of veterans recovering from PTSD and TBIs spent 8 weeks learning the basics of horsemanship and riding in preparation for hitting the open range of Sun Valley, Idaho. Offered at no cost to the twelve participants, the program added up to nearly 200 hours of adaptive horsemanship over its 8-week span. Word quickly spread through the VA, and we’re happy to say the program is still going strong with special veterans’ lessons running on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
In April we joined the rest of the country in celebrating National Volunteer Week. Hundreds of NCEFT volunteers donate countless hours each year by sidewalking, assisting at special events, helping in the barn, and completing a host of other tasks essential to NCEFT’s operations. Without their tireless support and enthusiasm each week we’d be entirely unable to make such a positive impact in the lives of so many.
By May we’d decided to begin the search for a draft horse to fill the colossal shoes left by our late driving horse Sunny. Bonnie, NCEFT’s therapeutic driving instructor, scoured the country for a horse that fit our long list of criteria. 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. After careful consideration we made the big decision, and Jack joined the family in June.
While we frequently host visiting students and therapists, it’s less common for those visitors to hail from other countries. In July we welcomed four students from Korea National Sport University (KNSU). Winners of the Global Challenge travelling grant, they choose to study Hippotherapy after having volunteered as sidewalkers in Korea.
By September Jack had settled in at NCEFT and quickly stepped up to the task of therapeutic driving horse. He not only put in his first official lesson within weeks of arriving, but also made a guest appearance at the Wounded Warriors Polo Benefit.
Of course September also includes our annual Heroes and Horses Gala. We raised the funds that allow us to continue pursuing new opportunities to help an ever-widening group of patients. Gala guests helped care for our therapy horses, sponsored the programs serving our wounded servicemen, built the scholarships helping those for whom the cost of therapy outstretches their resources.
In October we put some of those funds to use, making our facility more accessible and comfortable. The handicapped parking area and outdoor mounting ramp were both covered to keep patients dry year-round. We added a paved walkway up to the viewing area, and leveled the once steep entrance to the covered arena. Each upgrade has been well received, especially with all the rain and mud that have been hanging around Woodside.
Our last big event of the year is always our annual Family Holiday Party. We love being able to offer parents and children an opportunity to be themselves and enjoy the holidays. Jack offered carriage rides, Sebastian brought Santa, and the Woodside Fire Department let kids sit shotgun in their iconic red fire truck.
With fridges stuffed to overflowing and leftover cookies stashed in every room, we called a close to the final session of the year. Our horses are now enjoying a few weeks of turn-out and downtime as staff put the finishing touches on next year’s calendar. We’d like to thank everyone who made NCEFT’s 2012 possible. The warmth of generosity and outpouring of support in year-end giving was a welcome respite from the cold, rainy days of December. It won’t be long before grooming buckets come out, mud is brushed off, and our arena once again becomes a busy, noisy, wonderful place of horses, hope, and healing.