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Horses inspire at-risk youth

By: Erin Madden / Volunteers

Posted: 04/25/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Volunteers Christina Redmond, left, with Missy and Susan Pickard with True, at the West Wind Stables in Oak Bluff.

A program that began as a university project is now helping two dozen Winnipeg students to develop important life skills. The Horse Connection is an alternative program for kids who struggle in school -- through learning about, riding and working with horses, the students build self-esteem, confidence, and communication and leadership skills.

Brenda Godin and Wendy MacDonald started it nine years ago. The women connected while attending an applied counselling course. Both passionate about working with at-risk children, they partnered to create the program for an in-class project. They continue to run it as volunteers, putting in hundreds of hours each year.

"We started with two students to demonstrate what the program would be that first spring, and from there we created a two-year pilot," said MacDonald, a former employee with Child and Family Services. "Now we're at 10 schools in the Pembina Trails (School Division) and have 24 students who ride for two 10-week sessions each year."

The program, which runs out of the West Wind Stables near Oak Bluff, focuses on positive communication and respectful interactions.

"Our expectations are (high) with how they behave with the horse and how they treat each other -- it's very disciplined. But these kids rise to that. They're able to experience all these positive communications within the group, with the horses, with the instructors," explained MacDonald.

Godin, an employee at the Manitoba Youth Centre, said the program works with students who face a wide spectrum of challenges, including autism, ADHD, extreme shyness and other learning disabilities. Most chosen to participate in the program come from low-income families, likely unable to afford horseback riding lessons. She said students often show an immediate response to working with the horses.

"It's that smile and that immediate response," said Godin, a mother of four, of what she loves most about volunteering with the program. "That's the way it is when you're working with horses and that's the way it is with the kids."

Susan Pickard started volunteering with The Horse Connection eight months ago, working directly with the students and horses. An active rider herself, the former educator said she has already witnessed the immediate results the program can have on the students.

"It is very satisfying. Kids come in and they've never touched a horse and by the end of the first session they're cleaning out hind feet. They're just right in there," said Pickard.

Christina Redmond was drawn to become a volunteer after hearing about those results. For the past two years she has helped to do fundraising for the organization, planning events and raffles.

"It really spoke to me," said Redmond, a mother of two. "I liked that it was grassroots, a small charity.

I liked that they were having such direct results and that they were seeing on a really clear basis that they were affecting the kids."

If you would like more information or would like to become a volunteer with The Horse Connection, please call Wendy MacDonald at 837-5547.

If you know a special volunteer who strives to make his or her community a better place to live, please contact Erin Madden at erinmadden@shaw.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 25, 2011 B2

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