HIGHFILL — In a scene from an old west novel, nine girls, mounted on several different breeds of horses, rode out of the western landscape on their way to a farm in the back woods of northwest Arkansas.
Heather Swope, instructor and founder of Legends Equestrian Center in Decatur, took her advanced riding class on a short cross-country trip to the Horses for Healing facility near Bentonville on July 30.
The nine riders, ranging in age from 6 to 18, arrived at the Horses for Healing main barn area around 10:15 a.m. After watering down the horses, the group remounted their horses and headed south for a ride around the fields of the facility.
Horses for Healing is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with special needs grow through the use of a unique therapeutic riding program designed to build their self-esteem and sense of worth.
According to a Horses for Healing 2014 newsletter, "Children with special needs who receive services at Horses for Healing have successes that many outside our field (including other professionals) never thought possible."
The Legends' group mounted their horses and began a leisurely ride up a short hill to a clearing. In the center was a 24-foot-long wooden fence. This fence was one of many jumping obstacles scattered throughout the facility designed to give riders a chance to jump under different field conditions.
The first set of fences consisted of a series of railroad ties stretching across the center of a clearing. The ties were stacked in two sets, three high, at either end of the fence, followed by a set of two and finally a single tie in the middle. The single tie was used by the less experienced jumpers while the two- and three-high stacks of ties were for the more advanced riders.
At this obstacle, the group played a game of Red Rover. One horse and rider jumped the fence, then another from the opposite side. After 30 minutes, it was on to another set of obstacles.
The clearing the riders entered was cut in a wheel shape with the spokes running to a central hub. In the hub were four fences made of old car, truck and tractor tires partially embedded in the ground. The outside of the clearing was cut in a circular pattern resembling a wheel. This allowed the riders access to any one of the spokes, giving them a good run up to each obstacle.
The group completed several other obstacles before returning to the Horses for Healing main barn. About mid-afternoon the group returned to the Legends' facility near Decatur.
The experience of riding in the cross-country environment taught the young riders how to manage and maintain control over their horses. For the less experienced riders, the trip allowed them to better understand the mechanics of horsemanship while building confidence. It was a lesson well received by each rider.
For more information on the Horses for Healing program, go to www.horsesforhealingnwa.org.
General News on 08/12/2015