Stephanie’s Why

I first discovered NTRC on a drive with my infant grandson during Covid. I had resigned from my teaching position and was caring for my grandson while my son and daughter-in-law were essential workers during the pandemic. Sometimes, cabin fever would overcome me and we would get in the car and drive. So one day we found NTRC off of a bumpy road close to my home. I’d always been interested in horses and equine therapy but had never volunteered in my previous home in California because there wasn’t a center close to my home.

At my first opportunity when the world started opening up again, I went through my volunteer background application and background check. I came for the volunteer orientation and was ready to go. I love kids and I love animals so I thought that was all that I was signing up for. Not long after beginning my experience as aside-walker, I started seeing the special relationship that develops between participants and their horses. The gentleness, the affection, the communication that happens–none of this was what I expected to happen between such large animals and comparatively small humans. And humans with special needs no less.

One of my riders was non-verbal and she would make sounds and try so hard to speak when she was on her horse. Another of my riders would come in a sad, angry mood and he’d soon be all smiles and leaning over to pat his horse and give his special hairy friend all the love. I soon found that for many of the participants, their time at NTRC was the highlight of their week. They not only connected with their horses (whether mounted or unmounted), they connected with all of the volunteers and with the other members of their class. As a volunteer, I’ve enjoyed acknowledging birthdays by singing “Happy Birthday” before class and seeing how pleased (though often shy) each participant is with special attention. The participants share stories and laughswith each other and it is a unifying experience for many of them and one of the few times during their week where they can share social time with peers. After some time as a volunteer, I became aware of a job opening on the NTRC staff.

My background in teaching is in math and art so when the business manager position opened I was motivated to apply for the position and very excited to get the position. My emotional investment in what happens for kids and adults at NTRC leads me to do my best possible job every day at helping NTRC be successful behind the scenes and to show up and be a positive influence as a volunteer. My “why” for remaining at NTRC has evolved as I see the impact of what happens here at the center. The magic of what happens between the horses and the humans (both riders and non-riders) is not something I expected! I have been personally touched and affected by my own experience at NTRC and I have been impacted by what I’ve seen happen in others.