50p
Horsing Around: Reflections on the Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association
During my Youth Philanthropy Initiative trip, I met a boy named Miles. He walked right up to me, shook my hand, and introduced himself. He showed me which horse was which, and who was riding them. He then went on to wave and chat with a friend who was just getting off a horse using a lift where straps were placed under his legs and around him; it lifted him off the horse and placed him down carefully. He was so happy, and he was so confident!
He was even more confident than I am most days. I can still see him smiling proudly as he told me and my mother about how he could steer by himself. I can still see him laughing and waving from atop his horse, and vowing to do his best riding as me and my mom were there. He just loved the place; he loved riding. It made him so happy.
I've always loved horses, I already knew about the bond you could create with these amazing creatures and to me, the barn is a place where I can go after a long frustrating day and just relax and be me, be happy. I've always known this about riding, but I never truly understood the impact riding could have on people until I met Miles.
It's all the feelings the barn brings me - a sense of belonging, the place where I can just be myself, a million feelings I can't even begin to describe - all of it was magnified inside Miles and then projected on his face. For me, this was the biggest thing I got out of this YPI project. Meeting Miles, meeting Jennifer, meeting a parent of two autistic children in the programme and seeing the difference it made in their lives really made me feel fantastic about being there.
It really made me want to win the grant, so I could help them continue this magical things they do for people with special needs in the Cowichan Valley. It made me want to go back to the barn, and it made me want to give back.
A couple of years ago, I looked at volunteering at the CTRA over the summer, but the website said you had to be a certain age, which I was not. The CTRA kind of left my mind, and I didn't think of it until the YPI project was started. Now, after being there and seeing what they do, I really wish I had at least sent an e-mail asking about it, as I have lots of experience with horses. I don't think it has changed any of my key values; I think it has reminded me of them.
My views on local charities have definitely changed. I always thought that raising money for good causes was great, but I never really saw what a difference they made until I went and visited the charity and talked to the people there. Before, all we did was the fundraising part of things; we never saw where they went, we never saw what happened afterwards.
It was really good for me to see what good they are doing.
The volunteers with the programme are all such good people. All such down-to-earth good people, donating precious time and effort and whatever they can to make the lives of these families better. If somebody were to have no money but still wanted to help out in their community, volunteering is the perfect way to do it. It is very rewarding and is be beneficial to everyone, even you.
Emily L, Mackenzie ‘16
He was even more confident than I am most days. I can still see him smiling proudly as he told me and my mother about how he could steer by himself. I can still see him laughing and waving from atop his horse, and vowing to do his best riding as me and my mom were there. He just loved the place; he loved riding. It made him so happy.
I've always loved horses, I already knew about the bond you could create with these amazing creatures and to me, the barn is a place where I can go after a long frustrating day and just relax and be me, be happy. I've always known this about riding, but I never truly understood the impact riding could have on people until I met Miles.
It's all the feelings the barn brings me - a sense of belonging, the place where I can just be myself, a million feelings I can't even begin to describe - all of it was magnified inside Miles and then projected on his face. For me, this was the biggest thing I got out of this YPI project. Meeting Miles, meeting Jennifer, meeting a parent of two autistic children in the programme and seeing the difference it made in their lives really made me feel fantastic about being there.
It really made me want to win the grant, so I could help them continue this magical things they do for people with special needs in the Cowichan Valley. It made me want to go back to the barn, and it made me want to give back.
A couple of years ago, I looked at volunteering at the CTRA over the summer, but the website said you had to be a certain age, which I was not. The CTRA kind of left my mind, and I didn't think of it until the YPI project was started. Now, after being there and seeing what they do, I really wish I had at least sent an e-mail asking about it, as I have lots of experience with horses. I don't think it has changed any of my key values; I think it has reminded me of them.
My views on local charities have definitely changed. I always thought that raising money for good causes was great, but I never really saw what a difference they made until I went and visited the charity and talked to the people there. Before, all we did was the fundraising part of things; we never saw where they went, we never saw what happened afterwards.
It was really good for me to see what good they are doing.
The volunteers with the programme are all such good people. All such down-to-earth good people, donating precious time and effort and whatever they can to make the lives of these families better. If somebody were to have no money but still wanted to help out in their community, volunteering is the perfect way to do it. It is very rewarding and is be beneficial to everyone, even you.
Emily L, Mackenzie ‘16
75p
