Lana Josal and horse Pickles learn about jumps with trainer Julie Kelly. They were at the Triple L Ranch in Cathcart Wednesday, July 31.
Photo by Jim Scolman
SNOHOMISH — The horses here offer valuable lessons on life for children.
Empowering Strides is a nonprofit organization which specializes in therapeutic horsemanship for neurodiverse children that experience behavioral, emotional and/or cognitive challenges. Founded in 2015 by Laura Gorcester, she has spent most of her life around horses and understands what benefit they can bring to a person. Being hit by a drunk driver after graduating high school in 2018, Gorcester said that horses were a large part of her therapy to deal with the mental health complications as a result of her accident.
Currently, Empowering Strides has four docile horses that are managed by them for the purpose of working with children with neurodiversity named Charlie, Pickles, Rhylee and Snoopy.
Operating out of Triple L Ranch on Fales Road in Cathcart, the horses live in a heated barn complete with a hot water wash rack. On the property are a covered arena suitable for year-round lessons, and an outdoor sand arena, both for students to work on their horse skills.
Gorcester said that “throughout the time here we have (seen) increased confidence, more autonomy, responsibility, self-awareness, following directions and being more flexible and routine. Routine for autistic kids is a really big one.”
Student Dylan McCoy, 21, who has been coming to Empowering Strides for six years, has seen improvements in additional areas. Before coming to the program, McCoy had the behavior of walking on his tip-toes. “He has always been a severe toe-walker. After his second lesson it went down by 80 percent,” Dylan’s mother Jennifer McCoy said. “The program has changed my whole family’s trajectory for him. Before this there was nothing and we didn’t know what we were going to do.”
Every lesson is tailored to what each specific child needs and doesn’t always involve riding. This is why it is referred to as Therapeutic Horsemanship, not Therapeutic Riding. Gorcester said that horses are very unique and don’t have to speak to communicate.
Lessons at Empowering Strides run for about an hour, beginning with the student, with aid from a volunteer, preparing their horse for riding. Brushing and grooming are the main part of this process. One student, 10-year-old Lana Josal, brushed her selected horse Pickles’ main body and tail, while using a special tool to dig the clumped dirt from under his hooves for their exercises. After a good thorough grooming session Josal and Mariah Richardson, a volunteer at the program, placed down Lana’s personalized saddle pad, complete with “Lana” stitched on the side in red and saddled Pickles for their lesson.
Lana has been working with horses for about seven years and it makes up a large part of her life. Her mother, Hilma, said that “without this she wouldn’t have anything” and is “obsessed with horses at home.” According to Lana’s mother, her “attention has improved and can “follow instructions better.”
Guiding Pickles into the covered arena, Lana mounted Pickles using a staircase for assistance. Being overseen by volunteers Richardson and Julie Kelly, the lesson was about to begin. After a few warm-up laps around the perimeter of the arena, the pair were ready to start maneuvering over different obstacles placed on the ground. Being a little stubborn and still learning the program, Pickles would sometimes steer to avoid the obstacles. However, Lana would eventually be able to bring Pickles to a trot and pass over them.
Once the lesson was over, Pickles was guided back to the barn and unsaddled. Depending on if the horses are extremely sweaty, they might also get a shower to help cool off.
“It is a great experience to ride here and there are memories to be made,” Lana said after her lesson finished and treated Pickles with a carrot.
Empowering Strides is always in the need of donations and/or volunteers. For more information on lessons, donations or volunteering, visit www.empoweringstrides.com
Lana Josal, 10, gives Pickles a treat at the end of a lesson at Empowering Strides, a program in the Snohomish area, on Wednesday, July 31.
Jim Scolman photo
