Jazz Tunes: Horses go to bed in kennels

"Sissy is it time to put the horses back in their kennels?" This has recently become my favorite Jazz quote. Some of our dogs sleep in kennels at night, and as we have explained to her, a kennel is like a cave for a dog and it is like having their own house. So it was not surprising that as I was putting the horses I was volunteering with away for the night, her brain referred to the corrals as kennels.

When I was growing up, I was a competitive horse back rider in professional training for more than 10 years. When I met Jazz, I was in high school and chasing down my dream of winning an open all around belt buckle for horsemanship and trail (both of which were against adults). Needless to say, Jazz therefore was introduced to horses from a young age. Since she is such an animal lover and is naturally drawn to animals, she fit right into the ranch life. She became a celebrity as she would sit in her stroller and cheer for me. The announcers would have her sit in the booth with them and she would clap and sing. They even started putting a play pen up there so she could nap with them out of the sun and my parents could focus on helping me. Jazz would sit in front of me in my saddle and clap and love on my big horse. It is one of my fondest memories of her during infancy.

When she was old enough, we started her in lessons. She got to participate in a therapeutic riding program that the school district was connected to. Unfortunately, the program was finished after only a couple months because it was time for the high school to participate. We attempted lessons with my former trainer, but it was not the easiest task teaching a small child with serious impulsivity and her horse eventually had to be retired due to his age. So, we were once again in a rut and she was still begging us to ride.

It was a few years later, but we found out that a therapeutic riding program had moved to the ranch I had trained at. They were so welcoming and incredible. Jazz now rides once a week, and frequently comes with me to volunteer. This program has been a huge blessing in so many ways. We started the program right after she was recovering from the abuse she had suffered at school. She was anxious, angsty, uncoordinated, flooded, and just an overall mess. The staff were patient, caring and gentle. They would tell me to just relax when she was starting to have a problem, and they showered her with love no matter what. We truly owe some of our recent successes to them.

Jazz has become more confident as she learns to control a huge animal on her own. She has become more relaxed as she enjoys the gentle motions of the horses. She has become more coordinated as she has been climbing trees and learning to play outside with sticks and rocks while I volunteer, something she had never had the opportunity to do. She has become stronger as she learns how to play and do little tricks on the horses. She has become more open to making friends as she learns to play with the other children in the program and the other volunteers.

I would highly recommend this program and others like it. It can be life changing. I know it has been for us and most importantly for Jazz.

Much love!

If you want more information about the program we are involved with, please visit their website: http://abopeople.org/

If you want more information about programs in general and to find one in your area, please visit: http://www.pathintl.org/