Our Horses
Imagine a horse who can somehow make a depressed child laugh, an anxious child feel peace, an abused child feel safe and loved. She marches over to the fence the moment she sees you approaching, nuzzles her warm muzzle against you, rests her head against you and lazily closes her eyes as you stroke her face. And she does it day after day, and loves it. She loves you.
Our horses are specially trained and chosen for their demonstrated ability to bond with people. As you might expect, members of our horse team are chosen with great care to be sure they have the temperament and intelligence needed to perform their extraordinary tasks. They are all healthy, athletic and talented. But this is the least of their powers. The real magic of our horses is demonstrated in how people react to them. The withdrawn children whose eyes light up with delight as Tootsie Roll smiles at them, the oppositional teenager who can’t help but laugh when Finn swipes a baseball cap from his head, the depressed child who smiles as she scratches Daisy’s neck and watches her lip begin to twitch… all of these are experiences with our horses that will
linger in the memories and lives of our clients who love them.
Tootsie Roll
Before becoming part of Flying Change, Tootsie Roll lived in a very unhealthy environment. She had to do a lot of things she wasn’t ready for, and be responsible for things that she wasn’t grown-up enough to do. Sometimes when we are under stress we act out our feelings in ways that aren’t helpful to us or others.Tootsie had trouble concentrating during lessons and was very rambunctious. Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to do things you didn’t feel ready for? How did you respond?
Click here to read Tootsie's full story | Email Tootsie
Finn
Finn is twenty years old - pretty old for a horse - and in his lifetime he has learned what he likes and dislikes, how he wants to be treated, and what is and isn’t okay with him. He has what we call healthy boundaries – if he doesn’t feel comfortable with something, he communicates it openly to us – and as a result, we respect his limits. When someone doesn’t respect his limits he stands up for himself. Where are your boundaries, what things aren’t okay with you?If someone doesn’t respect the limits and boundaries you set, how do you respond? Sometimes if someone is making you uncomfortable, you need to ask for help. Who are the people in your life you can go to if someone isn’t respecting your boundaries and you need support?
Click here to read Finn's full story.| Email Finn
Leo
Before he came to live with us, Leo belonged to a couple who had gotten into trouble with drugs and the police. The adults who were responsible for taking care of him left him in the barn and moved away. He was rescued and went to live in foster care. Now he has a new home with us. How do you think Leo felt about what happened to him? What do you think he felt when his caretakers left him? Was he sad? Angry? Hurt? Afraid? What was he thinking? How do you think he feels about his home now? Do you think he feels safe? What do you need to feel safe? What does safety mean to you?
Click here to read Leo's full story | Email Leo
Daisy
Not long ago, Daisy was very very ill and almost died. All of us who loved her felt afraid for her, and powerless, because we had done all we could do to help her and she was still so sick. She seemed tired and weakened by her struggle, and we worried that she didn’t have the strength to make it. And then, to all of our surprise, she seemed to pull through. Somewhere inside her she had the strength to survive what had happened to her and recover. Has there ever been a time when you were faced with something so hard, that you felt hopeless and wondered how you would make it through? How did you respond? What strengths do you have that help you to get through really tough times?
At Flying Change, our horses are the foundation of our program. The love, trust, and interaction they give us are priceless and we, in turn, love them whole-heartedly. Our dedication to them includes giving them the best possible care. They receive the highest quality feed, hay, veterinary care, and TLC. We are always in search of ways to enrich their lives as they have enriched ours. Any suggestions you have of products or services you have found beneficial for horses are welcomed.
