Zoe Lirakis is the certified therapeutic instructor at Dream On Curls Riding Center- and she embodies the combination of skills, qualifications, and passion for the job ! She is an able riding instructor and possess that special gift to be able to work with a wide range of disabled and at-risk children and adults. Having grown up with horses, her intuitive knowledge of horses is a key component to making our Therapeutic Center a huge success !
Her journey began at age 11, with her little Curly gelding- Sunshine Alec-Xander. Born on a farm full of animals- this was her start with serious riding. Over the years, astride many different Curly horses at Top O' The Hill Farm, taking part in competitions and riding for pure pleasure- Zoe acquired much knowledge and an understanding of how riding skills could be applied to all the varied challenges of life.
After graduation from high school, Zoe pursued a career in the educational field, continuing to ride every chance she could. Zoe's calling appeared to be assisting that often forgotten and ignored population of students that struggled within the "traditional" learning environment. Zoe took a job teaching at an alternative high school for the at-risk students and truly enjoyed it. The "at-risk" group continues to take a special place in her heart. It was here that she gained experience with adventure based educational techniques and challenge by choice methods. 'Challenge by choice' encourages respect for one another, the skill of making one's own choices free of peer-group pressure and promotes an experience where everyone contributes to each others choices and self esteem development. Adventure based education is learning by doing. Zoe was able to plan programs which took students "off campus" and join up in activities such as rock climbing, ice climbing, repelling, hiking-- all pursuits which challenge the body and the mind. Within the scope of these non-traditional concepts, you are encouraged to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, all by choice, learning and growing.
It was a natural transition for Zoe to begin thinking about ways to combine horse back riding with this teaching style to help the population left out of the mainstream. Just another step in creating reality out of an idea and a dream ! As the goal became more of a concrete reality- Zoe added skills and certifications along the way to add to her expertise as an instructor- a yearly certification in first aid and CPR, both required by NARHA standards. Zoe is also certified in CPI, which is a non-violent de-escalation technique used by many human service or social work professionals. When working with a population that, due to their disabilities, life events and/or trauma, often and unpredictably communicate their frustration and confusion with explosive behaviors, the instructor must be prepared with relevant, practical behavior management skills. CPI teaches responsive listening, compassionate understanding, and proper restraint methods when it becomes necessary.
Our lives are so guided and enhanced by our personal journeys, our experiences help form who we are and become. Life is the grand teacher, we are the students who go on to teach. These paths we are taken on often send us in directions we would not have chosen-- but add to our talents and facilitate our ability to use those skills in a richer way.
While pursuing her career goals, Zoe delivered a 10 week premature daughter who was ultimately diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, spastic diplegia. This is a disability which affects muscle control, growth, and balance from the waist down. This event threw Zoe into the world of disabilities first hand. Finding proper treatment modalities, coping skills, and advocating for benefits, navigating through the maze of handicapped laws and rights- Zoe gained knowledge that would ultimately benefit all her riders and their families/care-givers. Over the 11 years of raising her daughter, Zoe has learned numerous techniques, skills, and ideas which are applied in her vocation of therapeutic riding instructor. What stands out clearly - the way to truly help the individual with any disability is to focus on the whole, not the disability. Thus, we have chosen the slogan for our center-- 'we focus on what our riders CAN DO, not on what they can't'. We are teaching people, not a disability. There is a lot more going on with disabled individuals other than the physical handicap~ which is often overlooked in the quest to improve movement. Our riding instruction does address the external physical aspects and benefits of riding- but also the internal spirit of the rider. Regardless of how our riders enter our doors, once inside, the focus is always based on ABILITY !
With the at-risk group of riders- there are even greater challenges. Their disability cannot always be seen with the eye.. it is within- but just as disabling. As Zoe continued to work with students in different settings, traditional and non-traditional- tutoring and teaching- She always felt there was a missing piece. She desired to give her students an activity which would teach life long skills. Her own personal enjoyment of riding- the release and ease of self she feels - it was a natural progression to use the horses and riding to offer all of those feelings and opportunities of growth to the difficult group of "at-risk" children and young adults that hold a very special place in Zoe's heart. Dream On Curls Riding Center is one of the few world-wide which offers unique programs for this challengin group of children and young adults.
Dream On Curls Riding Center has experienced expanding success due in part to our wonderful instructor, Zoe ! She is well loved by all our riders.
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