Give a Day, Get a Day

Me and Peanut.

Morgan and Sammy.

Morgan leading Sammy.

Yesterday afternoon, Morgan and I volunteered at Healing Horses Therapeutic Riding Center through the "Disney, Give a Day, Get a Day" program. Originally, we picked Healing Horses because of it's proximity to our home (it's across the street). We also liked the idea of getting to work with animals and kids. Many volunteers of all ages showed up. Unfortunately, the girls were too young to volunteer. Since Morgan and I had some riding experience, we were quickly picked to be one of the few horse leaders. What an AWESOME experience it was! It was way cooler than anything I had anticipated. Hey, at least we weren't cleaning stalls, right? Ha! Our main goal was to lead our horse around the perimeter of the stables and eventually, out on the horse trail while stopping at various "therapy stations." Each station had several more volunteers that had different games and techniques available to help the rider increase awareness, strength, balance, and initiative. Morgan and I were not only able to work with these beautiful horses, but we also got to witness how these kids with special needs and autism thrive with this kind of horse therapy. It was a privilege to witness their progression, cheer them on, and all the while, be responsible for handling such a strong yet graceful animal. We only spent 2 hours of our afternoon there but rather than giving, we were the ones who received the blessing. Funny how that works when you serve others. They do some amazing work over at Healing Horses. We will definitely be back to see our new friends.