Youth assist in grooming a horse at Centaur Stride.

All animals deserve proper care. At Centaur Stride, we teach horsemanship, which includes caring for the horses.

Each lesson has a component of grooming and tacking. Our programs all have a different focus depending on the needs of the client or the group. When we have field trips or larger groups, since the maximum number of riders at one time is six, the group is split into smaller groups that rotate stations. Those stations all include something about the care of the horses, or maybe even a craft.

It is so easy to fall in love with horses. Getting one of your own requires preparation. This is where you need to know some things before you take that step. Horses are expensive and require a lot of time to care for them properly. The average lifespan of a horse is over 30 years. They are also herd animals and don’t like to be alone. They need a companion animal.

You can learn all you want about horses through our programs at Centaur Stride. As a volunteer, you can learn for free.

So much time goes into training our horses to be therapy horses. We now have 14 horses at the barn, some still in training, two retired and two on limited use as they are seniors. There are a variety of breeds and sizes to try to have the best horse for each individual rider’s needs, and back-up for unpredictable situations such as lameness.

Finding a horse who has the potential to be a therapy horse (and at an affordable price) is a challenge and when successful, a blessing. Choosing a horse is the most important lesson in getting your own horse!

After 32 years, we are now quite selective. It wasn’t always so.

Our staff are so compassionate, not just for our riders, but for the horses too. It is often risky for them to go to the auction or even to look at horses that people want to donate because they want to rescue all the horses! Although we have been blessed with many amazing horses that were donated, for every amazing horse, there are many more that need a loving nurturing owner who has the time and money to put into rehab and medical needs. In the past, we have optimistically taken some in. Since I am always conscious of the bottom line, I must keep my compassion in check.

How does a horse become “unhealthy”? It may not be intentional abuse from the previous owner, but possibly ignorance. They may have had no idea of what goes into caring for a horse before getting one, or circumstances may have changed, and they could no longer provide the needed care for the horse, especially if medical attention was required.

One time, the staff went to look at a horse and when they got there, the horse could barely stand. He was leaning his rump into the corner to take some of the weight off his legs. Although they knew he needed a lot of medical care and it probably would be a long time, if ever, before he could be ridden, they brought him to the barn, just to rescue him.

That same week, a teenage boy registered for our therapeutic riding program. He had a language disorder. He immediately bonded with that horse and wanted to use his time at the center to learn how to rehab the horse. It was so amazing to watch them work together. The horse’s body language facilitates communication in a universal language. The horse was never able to carry the weight of a rider, but the connection was so much more than a ride.

Our focus is on people who need the healing power of horses. I am always in awe at the coincidences that can turn a bad situation into something good.

Thankfully, there are now places like Nola’s Angels & Horse Rescue, in Panama, that takes in horses that need medical attention, rehabilitation and lots of love. We do what we can at Centaur Stride to help prevent that need, by educating people on caring for the horse.

CHQ 716 Give Big is a countywide fundraiser, promoted by the Community Foundations, on June 12. Please look for our center, and other worthy non-profits, and please give. There are many incentives for giving on that day, sometimes even matched funds, and we all rely on the generosity of our community. Thank you for your support! https//linktr.ee/centaurstride

Claudia Monroe is the co-founder and president of Centaur Stride.