As a young kid, I had always loved and admired animals. Although I had never had a pet or any knowledge of how to care for one, I still adored them. Four years ago, I had gotten a horse to further my riding career as I fell in love with the sport. She was the first animal that I was ever responsible for. She helped me grow in so many aspects of my life from my confidence to my physical skills, and many things in between. Looking back on those years, it still astonishes me how much a fifteen hundred pound animal that doesn't speak English, can teach things I didn't realize about myself. It was only recently that I had finally, after years of asking, adopted my first puppy. I love him dearly, but having a dog is a lot of work. Work that pays off in the end. Two years ago when I was fourteen years old, I had read a flyer in a local coffee shop, looking for volunteers to help at a therapeutic riding association. One look at the title and I was instantly captivated until the fine print stated there was an age requirement of sixteen years old. Since then I couldn't wait till I turned sixteen to finally volunteer here. But of course, we are living in a covid era. Who would have thought? Anyway, I applied to volunteer at the same place I had seen the flyer back during the holiday break and was stoked to start which was postponed until later this year. The big factor that influenced this decision years ago was that this equine therapeutic association was created for kids with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. The amount of power a horse could have to teach these kids to not only learn about the animal itself but to grow and learn about themselves. For these kids, horses teach them physical, psychological, social skills that other activities can not. I continue to love volunteering here, learning each story of the kids that ride here inspires me. This is the website where I volunteer, for more information on therapeutic riding, visit this page. Physical benefits can include:
Here are four of ten things many different animals can teach us about being human according to Psychology today:
My experiences with working with many different animals and people have taught me more about them and even more about myself. As Well as volunteering with animals and people alike, learning from animals can teach us about the ways of being human that we can forget at times. Madison
9 Comments
Emily
4/14/2021 09:58:41 am
I love this blog so much, honestly I agree completely. I loved when you wrote , "most animals can tell your emotion and reflect by their actions" because I really think that is so true. I always wanted a horse because I knew that they loved and reflected off of their owner. I have a dog though which acts like me sometimes, and even hearing stories about my friends animals it seems like they act the exact same. I really think they are just a reflection of us, and I think you can learn a lot from them
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Avery
4/14/2021 12:02:20 pm
Hey Madison I really enjoyed this blog. It was well written and went into detail which was super interesting to read. I also love animals and its cool to see how you've formed a bond with horses. The association that you were talking about sounds amazing and I'm glad you finally got the chance to volunteer there and enjoy it. One of my favourite things about this blog was when you listed four things that animals can teach humans. Great blog!
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Devon
4/14/2021 12:11:34 pm
Thank you for sharing Madison! I really loved this blog. My cousin has autism and has hugely benefited from therapeutic riding. She developed a love for horses and riding, which I do as well, and it has always been something we can talk about and share together. After seeing how much of an impact it made on her, a few years ago I did volunteer in lessons at a therapeutic riding centre and loved the experience. My aunt and uncle have a farm on their property in Point Roberts, which is where my horse is kept. Due to covid, it has been over a year since I have been able to ride since I cannot cross the boarder. It is so true that we can learn so much about ourselves by spending time with animals, I really do miss my time spent riding and cannot wait for the day the boarders re open.
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Tyler Lenton
4/14/2021 12:54:52 pm
I completely agree with this blog. And it makes me happy to hear what you are doing for volunteering. I really feel like my dog has made me a better person. He gets me out of the house and he makes me feel safe at night. Animals give you the confidence you didn't have before even though you can't completely communicate to them you just know what they're thinking because of the way they act. Also how they can read our emotions is kind of crazy. It's a good thing but I find it really cool that they can do that.
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amelie g
4/14/2021 01:00:53 pm
okay girl, i enjoyed reading this, i learned something new and i agree with all the things you said and listen down. first of all, a horse is one of my top land animals, and i used to take riding lessons as i have family friends who have their own horses and barn in Nanaimo. such beautiful creatures! thank you for making me realize that animals can bring much more that what we know, and even to get to know who we are on a deeper level. love it to hear new things from people and what they love!
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Alexa Kusel
4/14/2021 01:32:37 pm
This blog is so good! Its really inspiring and different to hear about so many benefits animals can have on us. I find we forget how amazing animals are and sometimes take them for granted, which is quite sad.
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Brianna
4/14/2021 01:36:20 pm
As a kid I always loved horses and wanted one so bad, I used to go down to the stables and take care of other peoples horses. I can totally see how an animal can learn your behaviours, and in turn, you benefiting from theirs. I’m not sure if what I was trying to say came across, but I really liked this blog!
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Kaysey
4/17/2021 12:10:14 am
I've always wanted a pet when I was younger , especially being an only child having a furry companion ( I wanted a dog) was a desperate want. Now that I have a dog, I can say that she helps me a lot with my mental state. When I am simply bored, or feeling down I can count on my dog to be there for me. I find it such a precious and pure experience when people just play with their dog, like one on one. I love most animals lol and think they are cool creatures that would be fun to further learn more about.
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Madison, this is very well written and beautifully said! Especially growing with you over the years and spending countless hours together with the animals, your blog could not be more accurate! You are a very caring, intelligent and compassionate young lady, what you bring to the animals always shines right back to you. Animals have a way to my heart that no one will be able to reach, so seeing you write this brings me joy.
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