Spring has sprung at East Point Horspice. Like many in the community that translates into a busy time of year to hit the fields, attend graduation parties and plan for the summer.
On Thursday, May 6 EPH started off the riding season with the volunteer orientation. This event familiarized everyone with the Memorial Volunteer Center including storage of tack, introductions to the therapy riding horses, practicing techniques to increase rider and volunteer safety, and a good grooming for a few of the horses used in the training. Spring always proves to be a hair-filled time of year and anyone standing downwind of the currying ended up with a mouth full of winter fuzz. If life got in the way and you were unable to attend the orientation, please know that anyone interested in volunteering is still welcome to do so. EPH likes to have a pool of volunteers to get us through the busy summer months to help spread the load. It is an unusual situation where someone can attend every session and having your friends and fellow volunteers available definitely helps get us through the season with the appropriate number of people.
Beginning Thursday May 13 at 5:30 p.m. the therapeutic riding season begins. There are still spots available for either the Thursday or Friday evening sessions, so if there are people interested in getting in the saddle that is a possibility. You are encouraged to contact EPH at (308) 762-3848 to reserve your slot and visit with Charlene about how this program can change your life. Please leave a voice mail if necessary and you will be contacted as soon as possible.
In other news, several EPH volunteers attended a conference last weekend facilitated by Elaine Davis, founder of Unbridled, in Lake Crystal, Minnesota. They were exposed to techniques and processes regarding helping others with faith-based trauma recovery. As with any learning opportunity related to the horses, EPH gleans from the knowledge and wisdom of these horse-minded individuals then brings it back for use in our program. EPH takes seriously the concept of continual learning and always attempts to disseminate this to our volunteers; the program becomes stronger and more reliable when everyone benefits from this information.