Rider Stories

Brittany and Taylor

As Program Coordinator at Mountin’ Hopes I spend the majority of my time working with volunteers, families and care givers of riders. My interaction with our riders is typically little more than an exchange of hellos and smiles. However, I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing two amazing young riders, who, though faced with great personal challenge, reminded me through their determination and passion for life that if we have the courage to live our dreams, despite the obstacles that may lie along the way, anything is possible. This is their story.
In March of 1993 Sonya and Gary Ramey welcomed their twin daughters, Brittany and Taylor into the world. Brittany and Taylor were born with a rare genetic condition called Red Ragged Fiber Disease. In spite of the challenges they have faced the girls have grown into beautiful and vibrant young ladies with a zest for life and a love of horses! Brittany and Taylor may look identical but their personalities and interests are far from the same, however, one thing they still have in common is their love for horses. Now, fifteen years later, Brittany and Taylor are living one of their childhood dreams – they are riding horses.
The girls’ first experience with horses came in the form of a trail riding expedition where Taylor experienced an epileptic episode and fell from her horse narrowly escaping serious injury. After this experience the girls were hesitant to ride again, thinking that perhaps with their physical challenges that horseback riding was not a realistic dream. However, not to be easily discouraged, Taylor began searching the internet for therapeutic riding centers and found Mountin’ Hopes.
After visiting Mountin’ Hopes the girls decided that they wanted to give riding another chance. However, their father Gary wanted the girls to first understand the entire process so the girls along with their mother began volunteering at Mountin’ Hopes. Gary explained, “I want you to learn from the beginning step-by-step as a gradual process.” The girls say that in retrospect they are glad their father required them to volunteer because as Brittany explained, “If you are nervous about riding horses you should first of all get used to being around horses – petting and grooming them and then when you feel confident about yourself and the horse and you want to ride, then at Mountin’ Hopes you can ride with the help of a leader and side walker – just in case something goes wrong.” Taylor added that through being around horses she had learned to listen to their body language and know how they were feeling. She says, “When you are grooming you can feel the horses relax and take a deep breath and I understand the way my horse Tonkka is feeling by the way he holds his ears, and when I know he is having a cruddy day I say ‘it’s ok boy’, and when I am having a cruddy day and I see Tonkka’s orange mane and body, I perk up!”
The girls are riding for their second session now, but to hear them talk about horses you would think they were born in the saddle. Taylor’s voice filled with emotion as she said, “From the moment I sat on Tonkka I felt safe, when I ride him he listens to me, I feel like he listens to me like a human being and not a horse – when I ride him I can tell he feels young again.” Brittany says that she knows the way to her horse Gent’s heart is with “hugs and treats, he likes apples best” she says, “Gent is the one with the mohawk, when I ride him I feel in control and Katie has made learning to ride fun because we play games and we are learning at the same time. I have learned how to control the horse’s speed and direction.” Katie says, “Both girls were pretty nervous the first time they came to ride but have been really strong no matter what the challenges of that day bring. The girls have a lot of fun and always impress upon all of us the importance of having determination in the face of great difficulty.” Sonya, the girl’s mother, expressed how proud she was to see the girls “sitting up so tall when they ride” and their father said, “I was so impressed with the way Katie knew and paid attention to the girls needs. Her attention to detail made me feel good about letting the girls ride.” When the girls are not at Mountin’ Hopes they are busy reading all of the horse literature they can get their hands on and they are even members of an on-line horse lovers group. As a crowning glory the girls will be granted their wish from the Make A Wish Foundation to go to the Kentucky Derby – rumor has it that they are even going to get to meet the horses in person.
As I listened to the girls tell the story of their journey to Mountin’ Hopes I was reminded of a quote from John Quincy Adams. He said, “Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.” Perhaps the Ramey’s obstacles have not “vanished into air,” but the light in their eyes and the excitement that fills their voices when they talk about riding at Mountin’ Hopes certainly reflects the joy that they have found through their refusal to give up and have the courage to ride again.

Jenna’s Healing with Horses

Mountin’ Hopes serves children of all ages with many different kinds of challenges and a rapidly growing number of adult riders. Jenna Nagle, aged 26, started riding at Mountin’ Hopes in the summer of 2004. Jenna, at the age of 24, suffered a medical accident that caused a loss of oxygen to her brain. The resulting brain injury left her in a coma and she was not expected to live. After that prediction, her physicians said she would be in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life. After 5 months of hospitalization, her family disagreed with the suggestion that she go to a skilled nursing facility and took her home to the house she had purchased before her brain injury. She began therapies with her caregivers and in the summer of 2004 she began riding regularly at Mountin’ Hopes. In the following interview her mother Karen Nagle tells the story of Jenna’s miraculous recovery and how Mountin’ Hopes has helped Jenna and her family.

MH: “What brought your family and Jenna to Mountin’ Hopes?

Karen: “Jenna has loved horses for years and at the time of her injury was considering volunteering at Mountin’ Hopes.”

MH: “What other types of therapy has Jenna been receiving?

Karen: “Jenna receives physical, occupational and speech therapy on a daily basis. She also receives cranial-sacral therapy.

MH: “Has Jenna responded differently to therapeutic riding when compared to other therapies?”

Karen: “The biggest difference is that she gets tremendous enjoyment out of TR and really looks forward to it each week. Participating in TR has greatly increased her confidence and this increases her achievements in other therapies. TR has definitely improved her balance, coordination and strength.

MH: “Describe Jenna’s progress since coming to MH.”

Karen: “At first Jenna needed 2 side walkers and her upper body lacked strength and stability. By this summer’s end she was able to ride independently and steer her horse by herself. Jenna now has greatly improved endurance as a result of TR.”

MH: “What would you advise to a family experiencing a severe challenge like this if they were considering TR?

Karen: “I would strongly suggest that they make TR a part of the overall plan for rehabilitation. TR compliments other therapies and provides a great sense of competence. This competence supports progress with other techniques of healing. I also believe frequency is important in order to maintain and achieve continued progress.

Charles Rides High

Charles Gets Started When Cynthia Broaddrick enrolled her son, Charles, at Mountin’ Hopes in the Fall of 2005 she was confident therapeutic riding would be a good choice for him. Physical and occupational therapists had advised her that this could help Charles in his struggle with the physical challenges of Cerebral Palsy. A specific benefit of therapeutic riding for people with CP is that it teaches the body about the rhythmic sensation of gaited motion.

After Charles’ first visit to Mountin’ Hopes, it was clear to his Instructor, Carrie, and LeAnn, Program Coordinator, that Charles would require a program tailored specifically to his needs, allowing him to gradually orient himself to this new stimulating experience. Besides living with cerebral palsy, Charles also faces the difficulty of a deficit in sensory integration. This means that Charles can be easily overcome by sights, smells, sounds and touch sensations that present no difficulty for most of us.

Charles Rides Toby Toby, an old Arabian gentleman, was the therapy horse chosen for Charles. Toby stood quietly each week to allow Charles to begin to integrate the tremendous amount of sensory stimulation that a half ton animal can present. Gradually, Charles became more confident and a big breakthrough happened the day Charles “led” Toby from his wheelchair. Charles now mounts his horse “Tea Biscuit” and rides each week! His family sees significant progress in his balance, muscle tone, and ability to communicate – all resulting in greater independence.

“The confidence that Charles has gained through Therapeutic Riding can’t be credited to anything else he is involved with right now. It is a very important step towards greater independence, something we all want for Charles,” said his mother Cynthia.

Seeing the progress that Charles has been able to accomplish is a source of great pride and satisfaction for our employees and volunteers. At Mountin’ Hopes we make a difference!