At Creekside Farm on the outskirts of the Flat Creek community, the aroma of freshly mowed hay mixes with the salty sweat of the horses. They stamp their hooves on the dirt floor, begging Angela Wojtkowski to lead them out of their stalls and into the sunlight. As the children waiting in the arena for their equine therapy lessons squeal with excitement, the ears of each horse point upward, and they swish their tails and neigh in reply. Most of the horses in the Hope Reins therapeutic riding program have emerged from years of struggles themselves, so they understand the children who will ride them.
“Just as horses can have emotional pain, injuries, physical ailments, and disabilities, people suffer the same,” said Wojtkowski. “The average horse has seven to 10 owners during their lifetime, and as herd animals, they are torn from friends and sometimes have neglectful or abusive owners. They grieve, feel happiness [and] sadness, and become scared or playful. Horses suffer loss like we do, and they understand the fear of walking into the unknown. They understand trauma, and they know when a child is feeling uncertain.”
Wojtkowski continued, “We put a girl who had suffered emotional trauma on the back of one of my mares named Lady. Until she felt the child was ready, Lady wouldn’t walk. She was building trust with the child first. When she did begin to walk, she walked as if she were carrying glasses of water and didn’t want to spill anything. Lady even stopped to let the child breathe and relax a bit. Times like these are magical.”
Another time, a child entered Wojtkowski’s barn and approached a gelding named Blue, who has one clear blue eye and one that is chocolate brown. Blue hung his head over the door of his stall, and as the child stroked his velvety pink nose, tears trickled down her cheeks until a rolling sob burbled from her lips. Wojtkowski opened the stall door and led Blue into the hallway. The child wrapped her arms around his neck, and Blue rested his head on her shoulder to offer her comfort.
“God shows us His miracles through His creations, and His greatest gift to all of us is the horse,” said Wojtkowski. “I didn’t know that this child’s parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce, and it devastated her. But Blue, he knew it. If you’ve lived any length of time on this planet, you’ve experienced some sort of trauma or heartbreak in your life. At Hope Reins, we take a child who has an autism diagnosis, or a child that has been traumatized, or even adults who’ve had bad experiences with horses, and we bring them together so healing can take place.”
Before Wojtkowski, who has been a registered nurse since 1985, started Hope Reins, she and her husband, Paul, operated a nonprofit called Hope Through Education Inc. Through this organization, they remodeled orphanages in Mexico, rehabilitated apartments to house displaced families during the housing crisis in 2008, and completed various other projects. When the opportunity arose for the Wojtkowskis to continue as Hope Reins, they happily opened their barn to the community and provided their own horses.
A few years ago, Wojtkowski received a call from Ann Burkhalter, who had volunteered with Great Strides since 2007. Burkhalter is a certified instructor through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. Together, they formed Hope Reins Therapeutic Riding Center, which will begin its third season this spring.
“Ann is a gem. She is not only knowledgeable with horses, but she is extremely knowledgeable with children who have disabilities, and she knows how to keep them engaged,” said Wojtkowski. “She has so much knowledge with running an equine therapy program that I want our program to reflect her knowledge and character.”
According to research, equine therapy has proven to be the most beneficial to riders who have a physical, mental, or emotional challenge because the movement of the horse stimulates muscles, helps build core strength, and improves muscle tone. The relationships formed between the horse and its rider create pathways of communication that encourage socialization, improve social skills, reduce anxiety and irritability, and help to regulate emotions. As riders become more confident in their equine skills, they also see their self-esteem grow.
“Our vision for our equine therapy program is to draw people to the Lord and to help them realize that horses are God’s gift to man. We want others to recognize that God’s healing hand is on them and their children, and as they see that, they come to truly love and appreciate the equine.” GN
