All In Stride

Riding is hard.

It is hard to get up on a horse. It is hard to stay on a horse. It is hard to keep going, day after day through the good rides and the bad rides.

But that is why we stick with it.

It is even harder for those whose bodies don’t always cooperate, who might not be able to sit up straight, or talk, or see. But there is something about riding a horse, finally being in control and on top of the world that just can’t be denied.

And that is why they stick with it.

Therapeutic riding is a journey for the mind and the body, for both the volunteer and the rider. The changes we as volunteers see from ride to ride are beyond incredible, beyond amazing. Sometimes they are downright miraculous.

For some riders, even wearing a helmet is an achievement. Holding a brush, walking up to the horse, touching his neck—these are all giant leaps when considered from a different perspective. To watch a therapy rider go from refusing to go near a stall to riding a gentle trot on a patient horse is the opportunity of a lifetime.

And that is what this is about. We can’t all walk on at every class. We can’t all be in the arena watching every step to success. But we can all bear witness to change as these riders take it all in stride.