Kids Helping Kids and Horses

I want to create a model program that can be reproduced all over the country to help horses and kids. With the outlaw of horse slaughter in this country and the monumental increase in the costs of keeping horses, our rescue organizations are overflowing with needy horses. Many of these horses would be adoptable with some basic training. Unfortunately although the rescue groups have many great caretakers, few have great horse trainers on staff or volunteering and these horses are stuck in limbo. We have the skills to not only bridge this training gap for these horses, but also teach others how to do it too. I want to partner with the USERL to take in 4-10 horses at a time that are rehabbed and ready to acquire the training and skills to get back out into the world as productive equine partners. I think the Showing Naturally are the perfect group to work with these horses.

The second part of my vision involves underprivileged/at risk kids who would never otherwise have an opportunity to explore a relationship with horses. I would like to provide scholarships for deserving kids to come to participate in the Showing Naturally events and programs. Ashley Hayes, who has a nonprofit Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program in Lincolnton, has kids who are ready to 'step down' into a more horsemanship based program. She explained to me that these kids have lived so long in 'survival mode' that they are unable to believe they can set goals and achieve them. These are the kids who will never grow to break out of these bad patterns without something to dream about and really have a chance to fufill their dreams. We can change the course of their lives and give them hope, purpose and meaning beyond what they have ever experienced.

Combining the rescue horses and these kids will create a winning situation for everyone involved! We can get the older varsity Showing Naturally out there teaching and the power multiplies again!

Doors are opening all around me. I have had several people who are experienced at writing grants already expressing an interest in helping me secure funding to make this a reality! I am way excited about the positive power we can generate all pulling for a worthy cause. Your thoughts and suggestions would be great here, I'm sure you can think of ways that we can make this better and more successful too!