Volunteering at Riley Equine Center Can you picture a place where your only care in the world is something that cares for you as well? For the past four months I have spent 45 hours volunteering for Riley Equine Center in Boonville, MO, and the environment is just that. Riley Equine Center is a therapeutic horseback riding stable. They specialize in creating a loving atmosphere where a person with disabilities, special needs, or even just wanting to learn to ride a horse can come and enjoy the simplicity of the country environment and leave the stressors of daily life behind. I enjoyed everything I participated in. When I get to the barn to volunteer, we get the horses ready by brushing and saddling them. We head up to Riley Equine’s new covered arena and wait for the arrival or the students. In Equine Assisted Activity, there are a few things volunteers can help with. One opportunity is to be a “side-walker” who walks next to the person riding the horse and holds on to them to keep them balanced on the horse. With people who have extreme balance problems or just can’t hold themselves up, we use a belt called a “gait belt” that wraps around the students waist and that’s what we hold. Another position is the person leading the horse. Most people with special needs have trouble guiding the horse on their own so we need someone to lead the horse. Sometimes, as is the case with one little boy who doesn’t walk and can’t hold his body weight up, a volunteer needs to sit behind the saddle on the horses back end to hold the body of the rider. Most of the time I side walked. I grew emotionally close to many of the students at Riley, and watched as they grew close to the horses and the environment.I think that the students could see that they could get up on that horse just like anybody else could, and when they were riding, they were riding as normally as anybody else would. Their disabilities couldn’t stop them from doing something exactly like someone without special needs.There are things from class that I learned had a lot to do with my service. I saw that the horses served as social lubricants for the students who were shy to communicate with the staff or volunteers. I observed the aspect of unconditional love that we discussed in class. The students loved their horse and the horse was always there for them every time they came to the barn. I think they can feel the non-judgmental nature of the animal, they would feel loved by this animal no matter their disability. I witnessed the effects of the Human-Animal Bond defined as “A mutually beneficial, dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both”. The students were receiving the benefits of exercise, and unconditional love. The horses were receiving exercise and the care and maintenance of the student. I think that the Human-Animal Interaction is a big part of how Equine Assisted Activity works, because the horse stimulates the student’s brain and body.I would recommend volunteering at Riley Equine Center to anyone in the future, whether they have been around horses or not. The environment and staff are so welcoming and caring and really want their volunteers to have as much fun as the students. Don’t turn away from the idea of volunteering just because it’s thirty minutes away. It’s worth every minute it takes to commute. If you’re scared of horses, the staff will teach you about them and get you more comfortable being around them-which can also add to your learning experience! Bonnie Riley, the owner at Riley Equine Center, is the heart and soul of the operation (although, so are the horses!). Riley Equine is her “labor of love” and with only one employee, they depend a lot on volunteers to help them out. Bonnie has a favorite expression“the horse knows”, and I’ve learned that the horse does know. The horse knows if it needs to be gentle, and it knows if a person needs a little extra love. A horse can’t talk back, but will always listen. Written By: Laura Hayes