Change

Every once in a while, I ask myself why on earth I do horse therapy. Whether in the States, or in India. Why do I do it in general? Which is really a terrible question for me to ask considering that I’ve spent most of the summers since I was 12 doing horse therapy, and now it’s my job. But it’s true. Sometimes I start to question. There have even been times that I have said, “You know, I could give up doing therapy completely. It’s a lot of work, and I could stop. It wouldn’t be a big deal.” But that lasts about five minutes. Because then I remember why I do horse therapy. Why I have frozen my fingers off tacking up horses, or roasted half to death during a lesson. Why I’ve been stepped on or had to deal with an ornery horse, and still continued. It’s because it makes a difference. It’s because I see people who can walk better. I see people who are more confident than they ever thought they would be. I see people whose lives are changed because of their time spent with the horses.

And you know something? It is not just the riders who are changed. There is something therapeutic about the time that you spend with a horse. And the time that you spend with the riders who are coming for therapy. I have seen whole classes where every person in the ring is laughing, because one rider is so tickled by what they have managed to do with the ponies, and they start giggling, which sets everyone off. I’ve seen riders cheering on other riders who are nervous. I’ve seen real bonds being formed between rider and horse, rider and volunteer, volunteer and horse. And being part of something that is changing lives is not a thing that one can give up easily.

I’m looking through some therapy resources right now. It’s my belief that I will never be good enough at horse therapy, no matter what I do, and it is my duty to continue growing and learning. The more I learn, the more that I can be a benefit to the people I am working with. Looking at these websites makes me so excited for therapy to start. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done therapy. Pegasus ended just before Thanksgiving, so that’s the last time. And I miss it. That’s why I could never give it up. It’s like doing mission work. You go into it thinking, ‘I’m going to benefit these people. Their lives are going to be changed.’ And that’s true, and it’s a great thing to do. But you will get a benefit from it too. Sometimes you will have more of a benefit and a change than the people you think you are serving. Humility and constant learning are the important things that you can do.

So that’s why I would suppose that horse therapy will continue to be part of my life in some way, whether as a job, or just something I volunteer with. I doubt I’ll ever get away from it. Which isn’t a bad thing.