Joy Ride

I recently came across a therapeutic riding nonprofit in need itself. Since its inception nearly 12 years ago, Ride for Joy still needs a home of its own. The program is currently operating out of Pierce Park Stables in northwest Boise. Its dedicated staff, all originally volunteers, are striving to find a permanent facility.

The wish list includes an indoor arena, 10-15 acres and ample parking to accommodate children with physical disabilities including cerebral palsy. Ride for Joy's students also include riders with a range of conditions including autism, Down syndrome and ADHD. Ride for Joy teaches these children how to ride a horse. In the future, it would like to include Hippo programs for children to improve their speech and motor skills.

As I discovered first-hand at Wunsapana Farm and Green Chimneys, animals can be an integral part of a child's growth and healing process. Caring for an animal that will give them unconditional love in return reminds us that relationships are formed by giving, not wanting. It reminds us to stay in the moment.

Similarly, Ride for Joy provides its riders autonomy, facilitating greater self-esteem through the empowerment of accomplishment. The stories I've heard are ones I've lived myself. Growing up, many of my happiest moments were spent with my family's chickens, ducks and geese. I loved reading to them on a log in the pen, fascinated by the way the chickens would come up slowly, emitting long, curious clucks. (Sometimes they would even peck the pages.)

Today, when a child tells me they like animals because they listen and somehow understand, I nod in agreement. When they tell me how the daily routine of caring for them helps them forget their troubles, I smile and say I feel the same way. There's something special about farm animals. Maybe it's because it's a reminder of a simpler way of life. And perhaps it's because being with them brings out the child in me. Twenty years later, I remember the girl reading to her flock in the pen. She hasn't really changed.



Animals can also remind us we're strong when we feel vulnerable. One former student at Green Chimneys now works on Wall Street. When he's having a stressful moment at work, he closes his eyes and pictures the animals. Imagine that, I thought. Horses as meditation tools. When I’m having a challenging day, I close my eyes and think of the Llama Walk I went on at Wunsapana Farm, stroking the animals' soft necks. I open my eyes, calmer and ready to take on life with renewed focus.