Every Tuesday afternoon, about six of our children come home from school very excited to go to horseback riding lessons. Love & Hope Children’s Home is blessed to receive these lessons for free from our good friend, Whitney.
Whitney, a “missionary kid” in El Salvador for many years, attended college in the United States where she studied therapeutic horsemanship. She later returned to El Salvador to fulfill her dream of having a therapeutic riding center for the benefit and use of children’s homes. Her center is located in the outskirts of San Salvador on what we refer to as the “finca,” or farm- property that belongs to another children’s home, La Casa de Mi Padre.
The Love & Hope kids have been learning to ride horses with Whitney for almost four years! We have seen all of them accomplish huge feats, and the “regulars,” who ride every week, are now able to control the horses on their own. Several of the kids have also overcome sizable fears about the horses. We’ve seen it as a great way for them to gain confidence and independence (there is nothing like being able to control a giant animal by yourself)! Whitney says, “I have watched your kids grow and improve over the years, even the ones who no longer come. Most came out for the first time pretty scared of the horses and didn’t have much confidence in themselves. I still see their insecurities, but they are improving. They are more confident riders and have learned to handle the horses almost independently; in Raquel’s case, she is completely independent. Eliseo and Irene are also very good riders. The horses have helped their confidence a lot. I think they humble Irene sometimes.”
Whitney has the kids do exercises while on horseback: touch the ears, touch the tail, turn around, rotate your arms, hug the horse, etc. The purpose of the exercises is to help the kids stretch and gain balance: “The horse is a good tool to challenge balance and to build strength because of its constant movement. We play games to work on their confidence which in turn helps their control of the horse.”
Horses, as with many animals, are also great for emotional therapy. Whitney says, “horses are like mirrors for our emotions. When we are sad they act sad. When we are mad they act mad. A good example of this was this week with Raquel. She came out frustrated, but acting like she was fine. As soon as she got on Serena (the horse), Serena started acting mad and not listening. I told Raquel to relax and calm down and when she did Serena changed her behavior as well. I think Raquel has captured the idea of using the horses to help her deal with her emotions and to relieve stress.”
The “finca” is also a fun place for the kids to explore. They run up the dirt road to the stables and help feed the horses. The farm is full of orange and lime trees, mango trees, zapote trees, and coffee. The kids might enjoy picking fruit (with Whitney’s permission, of course) just as much as they enjoy the horses. They often return home with a load of freshly picked produce.
Horseback riding has been a huge blessing for our kids. We love that several of them form a little horseback riding clique that goes enthusiastically every week for a lesson. The horses have benefited our children physically and emotionally, even if they don’t realize it. It certainly has been a unique opportunity for our children that most children in El Salvador (or the world) will never experience. We are so thankful to Whitney for offering our kids such a wonderful experience.
If you would like to know more about Whitney’s work in El Salvador and the Serenity Therapeutic Riding Center, visit her Facebook page here.