Find your stride at North Country Ride

They have fought in wars, plowed endless fields, delivered mail, and helped build civilizations for centuries. Their strength is still a measure of how powerful our machines are, and yet, their understanding and gentleness is being tapped to help heal bodies, minds, and spirits ravaged by illness and circumstances.

Horses, those beautiful four-legged animals, are working their magic in therapeutic establishments not only across the country, but in our community as well.

As early as the 1960s, people began to recognize that employing horses in therapeutic riding lessons resulted in improvement in clients with physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges. Innovators Peggy Moerke and Linda Finn entered the local scene in 1982 and incorporated North Country Ride, a 501(c)3 nonprofit equine therapeutic riding program in Esko.

As North Country Ride begins its 37th year, both women remain involved with the program, a testament to their commitment to the riding program and the importance of equine-assisted therapy. Tamy Horyza is the current executive director and provided information for this article.

North Country Ride is accredited by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.). Last year, North Country Ride served 92 riders through 240 sessions taught by PATH-certified instructors. Classes are held Monday through Thursday for 45-60 minutes. There are five classes each day with three riders per class. This way the instructor is able to provide a maximum amount of attention to be sure the rider is moving toward his or her goals. The season begins in late April and will continue into October.

Due to the multiple challenges faced by clients, goals are individualized as much as possible. For example, Horyza speaks of a youngster who has been diagnosed with autism. Initially, he was so afraid of the new experience of riding, he would not enter the arena for his lesson. He communicated mostly by screaming.

North Country Ride requires all riders to wear a helmet for safety reasons, but this lad could not tolerate the helmet on his head. The instructor sent the helmet home with his grandmother and told her to practice with him so he could get acclimated to the feel of the helmet on his head.

Several weeks later, the boy was able to participate in his first lesson. Gradually, over the course of the season, he began to trust the environment and especially his horse. By the final six-week session, he was running into the arena, asking to have his helmet secured, talking to other children in the group and telling the instructor that "you have to stay open all winter so I can ride my best friend."

Volunteers are vital to the success of North Country Ride. Each rider requires one to three volunteers per lesson to assist with leading the horse, balance or other needs. In order to keep things running smoothly, Horyza notes that at least 100 volunteers are needed each year, but 130 would be even better. There are volunteers from all walks of life and levels of experience - a background of working with horses is not required. A person must be at least 14 years old to work with the riders and able to walk with the horse and rider during the lesson.

Sometimes, Horyza says, she thinks the volunteer is benefiting as much as the rider from the lesson. As one volunteer said on her end-of-the-year survey, "When I am at North Country Ride, there is not room for anything else in my head. My focus is on the positive good that I am doing."

Of course, the nonprofit could not function without the horses themselves. Last season 13 horses participated in the riding sessions. North Country Ride owns four horses and hopes to purchase a few more. Others are graciously loaned to the program. Horses must pass certain tests and complete a 30-day trial period prior to being accepted as equine partners.

The horses seem to have an innate ability to relate to the riders, and the riders respond in kind. As one rider said on the survey, "It makes me happy to be with the horses. They are fun loving animals. I feel the horses are also happy when I ride and play games."

The North Country Ride instructors demonstrate a wide variety of expertise and knowledge both in their understanding of working with individuals with disabilities and the therapeutic riding process. As they encourage, teach, support, and educate the riders each week, growth in physical abilities, a decrease in anxiety, or improved behavior are often noted.

Such was the case with "John" (not his real name). He is a young man in his 20s with developmental delays, both physically and psychologically. He had a very short attention span, a low threshold for frustration, and was mostly nonverbal. John joined the program to participate in the 10-week Special Olympic Games.

Initially, John required three volunteers each lesson, had difficulty following directions, and sometimes could not tolerate being on the horse for the entire time. However, at the state games, his class was late in the afternoon, but he patiently watched others and waited. Finally, he said to his caregivers, "When is it going to be my turn to ride?"

They were amazed not only at the patience he demonstrated, but also because that was the longest sentence they had heard him speak. That day he was able to ride without side walkers, could steer the horse through the obstacle course with minimal assistance, and he won a gold medal for his class.

Perhaps these success stories and many more like them are part of what has kept North Country Ride moving forward all these years. Any nonprofit organization faces multiple challenges, often financial as well as volunteer involvement. North Country Ride hosts fundraising events each year, applies for grants, benefits from many donors, and receives support from the counties in the region which all help defray the cost of lessons. There are waivers and scholarships for riders who need assistance with funding.

In looking to the future, Horyza reports that the board has plans to explore more options to serve even more clients.

At this time it appears that North Country Ride is living up to its mission statement which is to promote personal growth and development through equine-assisted therapeutic, recreational and educational activities.

Or, as one of the riders said, "When I'm riding, I feel like I'm flying on a dragon. That's why I like it so much."