The country rock band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real penned the lyrics “Turn off the news and build a garden, just my neighborhood and me, we might feel a bit less hardened, we might feel a bit more free. Turn off the news and raise the kids, give them something to believe in. Teach them how to be good people, give them hope that they can see. Turn off the news and build a garden with me.”
If horses could write songs, this might be one of them. While literally turning off the news has potential to lessen undo stress in our mental atmospheres, it also proves to be an effective metaphor for unplugging from the digital bombardment we endure every day. Just a dumb ol’ horse with no smart phone, laptop or access to the internet may be the smartest kid in the class.
Taking their lead, we can become healthier humans by leaving our electronic devices turned off, if even for just a couple hours a week, while developing meaningful relationships with the EPH herd. This opportunity is available for the 2022 therapeutic riding season. During an evening of being outside in the fresh air and sunshine, the horses create a classroom filled with riding activities of fun horse-related games designed to allow a rider to develop physical, mental, and spiritual skills to help cope with this often-times challenging world we all share. Life lessons are available as riders learn empathy and nurturing abilities while helping to prepare their horses for the evening’s activities. The participants develop a sense of responsibility for their horse, tack and necessary equipment required for a safe and enjoyable time astride these trusty steeds. Riders are afforded the chance to meet people of similar interests and sow the seeds of friendship. Direct interaction with living, breathing and remarkably sentient beings always proves to have a deeper impact than staring at a screen.
Without exaggeration, involvement as a volunteer or rider can be described as impactful, meaningful, and rewarding. Volunteer orientation is May 5th with the first riding evening scheduled for May 12th. This could be the year you discover the many ways horses can help us be better humans. You are encouraged to help us build a garden for the horses and riders from which we all can harvest the bounty. For further information, contact EPH at (308) 762-3848, eph@bbc.net, or www.eastpointhorspice.com.