The
Trail
Doesn H
End
Here
‘You cis the rider have toted control.
rrhe whole, mental thing changes. They
lose their disability once they get on.'
Varian Blanchard (loft) leads his
B-ycar-old son Brandon around
tho stable, helping him maintain
his balance. (Below) 4 volunteer
leads Ah Ihamctz, 14, through
an obstaclo course inside tho
stable Bidets try to make it
through tho course without their
horses hooves touching the
cones.
(flight) Attor being helped onto
ii horse. Pat Gordcr is led Irom
the barn (above) by Bob
Abrcsch and Lee Boson (check
ered shirt).
Horses take
disabled riders
places where their
crutches and
wheelchairs won 7 go
Photos by
Andre Ranieri and Kim Nguyen
By Rene DeCair
Emerald Assoc-ito Editor
For a love of horseback ruling, some people will
go to extreme lengths
When Sue McCarty was h years old, she would
take a kitchen chair and tie it to a saddle, whit h
she then strapped on her pony Next, she woulti
get her younger sister situated on a box ticside the
pony, lift her onto the chair and secure her sister
to the chair with a dish towel.
"We lived for horses," she said
What could have been a cruel childhood trick
was actually an act of kindness from McCarty who
was helping her quadriplegic sister share in the
fun of McCarty’s horsobai k riding adventures
“But my mother never knew, she said, which
was probably a gixui thing bo we decided to try
it a little safer years later
Now McCarty and her sister as the founders of
HORSES — Horseback Outdoor Recreational or
Scenic Experiences and Services — are giving oth
er people with disabilities the opportunity to go
out into the wilderness to see things that they oth
erwise might not
have benn able to
"I've boon in a
wheelchair for 27
years ... u n d i t
gives a whol(! dif
ferent perspoc
live,*' rider l’at
Grodur, 48, said. "I
think the little kid
in me derided this
would i«i fun. The
horse provides us
with the ability to
go places that our
w hoe(chairs or
crutches won't to (si
ll s. * *
- — i»I ■ ™.
A grinning Ah Thametz is lifted to the saddle.
sponsored bv the
llelhol Lion'-' (:lub
and lingerie I’.iris
unit Keimillion l)e
partment
Alter the training
sessions, held .11
different times dur
ing tile year, the
rulers of nil ages
will go on two to
live day excursions
to various places,
including Eastern
(Jregon and the C )i
egon ('oust
T il e 111 e m t) e r s
say tlie trips are
nu e because it al
lows them a way to
With tin; help of volunteers and donations, in
cluding u ride-a-thon at Kalkowski Stables last
Saturday that raised an estimated $2,000, tin;
group hopes to raise enough money for 30-week
training sessions for disabled riders The group is
get out ot the city anti into nature, wliK li is niton
hurt! for it person with restricted mobility to do
"It's nice to find u nonmochanized, non motor
iznd wuy to go walk on the txiucli tor awhile, to
walk in the woods and see a deer,” said Jean Mar
i ll.ml, 1,1. who wont on .1 group lump on 1 lust
summer lo Nrlutlem H.is
"It was wonderful to be out-ide and have unre
stricted iiceess to the beach,"' said Merchant,
whose multiple sclerosis has reipiired that she use
1 wheelchair for the last eight years "It's really,
really full ”
Ilrendan Blanchard, who describes his age as
"almost I),'" uses a wheelchair and rei eived nearly
">-100 ill pledges lor the ride a-thon.
"I really do like doing It and slull," he said, lie
cause he gets to experieru e the outdoors
Met "airly said the motley raised from the ride a
thou will go toward training each horse to facili
tate the needs of each individual rider, lor upkeep
of the animals and to tram volunteers All of the
horses are outfitted with spei lal equipment, such
as quu k release latches attached to the saddles
Thu goal of the program is not to la- physically
therapeutic, hut it has proven to also lie somewhat
if an emotional and mental lilt. Mi< arty said
When they ride, people get a different perspei
furn to HORSES, P tge ' 1
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