Horse of the Month: Lance
Breed: American Paint
Age: 12 years old
PATH Intl. Member Center: Equines Assisting Special Individuals (EASI)
Location: Jasper, AL
Lance is a 12-year-old American Paint Gelding. He came to EASI (Equines Assisting Special Individuals) from Meredith Manor in West Virginia. Lance was a lesson horse at Meredith Manor and with his ever curious personality, he quickly became a student favorite at our barn. Lance is patient with our less experienced riders and a confidence builder. He is one of our “go-to” horses and is always reliable. He loves treats and little girls with bows in their hair…mostly because he thinks the bows are his next treat!
Lance is without a doubt student favorite, but he has developed a very special relationship with one young lady in particular. This young lady has been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks for a few years. Her parents tried everything to help and one counselor suggested EASI. She was little hesitant at first since nothing had seemed to help. We started off with grooming and ground work until she became more comfortable and confident around Lance. Lance loved all of the attention, soon started recognizing when this particular young lady arrived and would meet her in the pasture. Soon we progressed to riding and since we haven’t looked back. As Lance and his girl were building their relationship, she was building her confidence in all aspects of her life. The panic attacks decrease, the need for medication lessened and soon was not needed at all.
EASI is a therapeutic riding center for individuals with disabilities as well as a veterans program. We serve approx. 150 riders each year. Most coming from our school system. We have 9 horses ranging in age from 6 y/o to 30 y/o. The need for a therapeutic horseback riding opportunity for the children and adults with disabilities and special needs in the Walker County and surrounding areas was recognized and then acted upon by a dedicated group of individuals. EASI is funded by private & corporate donations and fundraisers. EASI is a Premier Accredited Center of PATH International, an organization formed in 1969 to promote equine assisted activities for people with and without disabilities, through education, communication, standards, and research. We also, started a Special Olympic Team this year and are proud to say that we took 2 riders to the Alabama Special Olympics in May. We came home with 5 medals; 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze. We are looking forward to more opportunities for our riders to expand and show off their riding skills.
What’s in Lance’s SmartPak?
SmartPak has teamed up with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International or, PATH Intl. to recognize horses who participate in equine-assisted activities and therapies across the country. These hard-working and kindhearted horses help serve participants of all ages with a range of physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive challenges. Horses involved in the program allow the participants to receive rewarding benefits by promoting an awareness of body, mind and spirit. The SmartPak Horse of the Month program recognizes an equine-assisted activities and therapies horse from a certified PATH Intl. center each month by sharing their story and providing one month of SmartSupplements in SmartPaks for the recipient. Nominate a special horse you know.
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