Each week during camp the campers get to sign up for a skills class. I've been teaching a horseback riding skills class, which has been such a blast! Last week as we were preparing to sign the kids up I set the limit to 4 campers. The next day I found out I had 5 girls signed up for horse class. I was a bit frustrated because I wouldn't get to give each student the time and attention I would have liked. And this meant putting a camper on a little bit more challenging of a horse.
Then Tim told me the reason he let 5 campers sign up was because Mahogany really wanted to do it and the class was full when she came to sign up... I was even more stressed now. I had already heard stories of this girl. She was tough, problematic, wouldn't listen, did what she wanted...so I was on my guard at the start of skills class 1. But as Mahogany walked up to Chance and stroked his soft coat, she had a look of fear, awe, and excitement in her eyes, and I was instantly relieved I did not say I couldn't take 5 campers. Mahogany was eager to learn the best way to brush Chance and put his saddle on. She was even more excited to finally get in the saddle. As I taught her how to steer, stop, walk, and trot, her face would light up. Everything I asked her to do was responded to with excitement. After class was over she would hang out at the tack shed, asking questions about the horses, help to feed them their hay, and then want to feed all the rest of the animals too!
It was a joy working with Mahogany. And I feel blessed, because during other activities at camp, she was indeed a handful. She had to have many talks with the camp director, get pulled out of rec time, and loose privileges. But if I hadn't seen it I don't know if I would have believed she was a problem. I would tell you for sure that she was a hurting, tough, lost 8 year girl in a rough family situation. And to see her smile and giggle as she bounced in the saddle when Chance trotted made me want it to never end. Whenever I saw her outside of horses I brought up how well she did with Chance and we would have a good short conversation about the horses. It is moments like that, when I get to see the therapeutic side of working with horses, and get to see the joy they bring, that make me love my job.
