With Christmas coming up, so many people are in a giving spirit with plenty of inspirational stories of generosity. In this week's Adventure Arkansas, we highlight one of the most inspiring Adventures we've done.
Since 2009, Rebecca Christians has been recruiting horses to help children going through life’s difficult curveballs, all in memory of her daughter, Autumn. "They all have a purpose whether they’re ridden or not. A lot of times it has nothing to do with the ride. It has everything to do with the relationship and the bond, and that’s where the healing comes in."
The understanding nature of the animals helps children through many different struggles for free. Lori Deluca sees the relationship between animals and her children continue to blossom. "They sometimes have a hard time connecting with people, but they can bond with animals because animals love unconditionally. Animals are so different than people, they are less complicated. They’re always able to bond with them so I just see this whole other side of my child that comes out just bonding with the animals."
That’s true for Kimberly Hodoway’s daughter, Shiloh, as well, "She always tends to pick out the biggest horse they have. So when she was 5, she was riding Shiloh. Her name is Shiloh, and they also have a horse named Shiloh so there was this natural connection there. But Shiloh happened to be this giant horse. So it’s just been really fun to see her be confident enough to ride and connect with an animal that size."
Witnessing this relationship also inspires the volunteers. Mikenley, who has volunteered for 3 years explains, "A lot of their worries go away if they’re going through a traumatic time in their life or have a special disease or something like that. They can put it behind them and do whatever they want to do when they want to do it. So we will go play with chickens or ride horses or paint horses and it;s really fun."
Evan, who is volunteering for the Summer says, "I think my favorite part is getting to enjoy helping kids and letting them have experience with horses."
Lori says, "It’s a very unique Place. This is really a place that I can honestly say I dreamed about for my children because I knew of their connection to animals was so strong. I dreamed that they would have a place like this and I can honestly say my dream came true."
The ranch is able to provide these services and sessions for free because of donations. For more ways to give or get involved, check out their website and Facebook.
Segment Sponsored by: Adventure Subaru