Changing Lives

Recently Dream On Curls Riding Center signed up a new participant. This person has attended one of our groups a very long time ago and has dreamt of taking part in the activities again here at the Riding Center ever since that first day....  Here is a link to the blog of that day  ~ National Disability Day  back in 2009.









She is excited to join in on one of our newer programs we call Crossroads to Recovery.  She is a perfect example of the heart warming success of the program. Working on the ground - grooming, leading and managing her space with her horse - she has learned so much already about herself and her life.













Every week she has something new to be excited about - a positive change in her life. One week - she exclaimed that she had lost 4 pounds since attending.. she looks forward to her work with the horses and that helps keep her focused on her goal of a healthier body.

One week she announced that she confronted her issues with hoarding - and threw 5 items away ! All due to her increased confidence and self awareness gained in her therapeutic sessions here at Dream On Curls.

Today - she was thrilled to recount her experience from earlier in the week -- she encountered feelings of frustrations in a talk therapy group session -- and remembered the trick she learned here from Instructor Zoe Lirakis.... BREATHE !!!  In her own words-- it works !!

There is much that can be gained from our therapeutic ground sessions - breathing being one technique taught as a coping mechanism - for re-centering our bodies and thoughts before proceeding to the next step.  Instructor Zoe Lirakis teaches breath with the grooming sessions --pick up the brush; breathe in - then breathe out as the brush runs down the sides of your horse... over and over-- it is calming and quieting.  Once learned - this routine can be used in all areas of life through-out the day !

While the participants are learning to handle their horse - leading around the indoor - they begin to grasp the concepts of how space impacts what happens around them... in regards to others and the physical boundaries of their environment.  The idea of body language starts to make sense to them -- in bits and pieces... confidence levels increase - and that ripples out into life infinitely.




To repeat the words of my blog post all the way back in 2009... " This proved to be a day that reminds me that all my hard work has a purpose ! While instructor, Zoe gets to see and witness times such as this daily in her interactions with riders and participants-- I am generally busy managing the farm and horses. Today, I put aside my normal work-a-day routine and became a 'volunteer' fetching horses and helping out - in addition to being there to memorialize the event in photographs. It is immensely gratifying to personally take part in the enjoyment and appreciation of participants such as these individuals.

One of the women proclaimed at the end of the morning's session - "This was the BEST day of my life ! " How rewarding is that ??"  

 

So now ~ 6 years later - this woman has achieved her goal to be a part of one of our programs - she loves to come - always ready to learn.  Today she wasn't sure if she could complete the entire hour session due to a fall on the ice last week - she is wearing a knee brace. But ~ she came prepared to do her best -- and she completed the entire hour !

 

 I am continually amazed at the progress of our participants - the enthusiasm and bravery they bring to the sessions... this truly makes my day worth it !!

 

back in 2009 !