Recognition ‘surreal’ for Urban Stable owner

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This article was published 20/10/2017 (3133 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Westwood resident Wendy McDonald is being recognized for her work in youth support and advocacy.

The owner of Urban Stable has been named one of this year’s Manitoba Heroes, a prestigious honour that recognizes the work of local people who are working to make the province a better place. It’s McDonald’s first time receiving it, and she’s not entirely comfortable taking the spotlight.

“It’s just one of those things, it’s a little weird, because it’s not that comfortable to be out there. In the other way, being able to talk about the program and the kids and what we do there, that’s what I love to talk about,” McDonald said.

“It’s a bit surreal, but just huge for Urban Stable, that’s for sure.”

Urban Stable, hosted in Cartier at Camp Assiniboia Riding Stables, is a program aimed at connecting with at-risk youth through horsemanship and social support. McDonald has been running sessions for over 15 years, first under the name Horse Connection.

With a background in psychology and social work, McDonald was moved to create a space for youth to gain confidence, life skills and self-awareness, and feels that working with live animals is a great way to do that.

“It’s about learning and working with the horses and through that learning, that experience, it’s all the life skills that kids learn, and it’s the emotional and social life skills,” McDonald said.

“They experience challenges right there with the horse, they experience overcoming their fears with this new activity, and not only is it new but it’s with this very large animal, and an activity that many people have the opportunity to experience.”

She’s been able to witness the lasting impact that the program can have on kids, some of whom come back to volunteer with Urban Stable.

“Honestly, you just see growth all the time… it’s that bond they get with the horses that don’t judge them back,” she said. “They see how if they change something they can see the change quite immediately, so they learn how to monitor their emotions, when they need to stay more calm, how to be more assertive.”

McDonald said it’s an exciting time for Urban Stable as they’ve just received a three-year grant from the Winnipeg Foundation for $25,000 per year, which will allow them to expand and support more staff and offer more programming through schools.

“It’s very exciting to be able to reach this point.”