As a child, I was lucky enough to have parents that supported my love for horseback riding. However, as I got older, the time commitment, as well as the financial aspect of riding, became too much. Yet, as many horse lovers know, that love for a horse never truly goes away. Recently, I was introduced to a wonderful organization in Zionsville : Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center. There I met three special ladies, Lydia Phillips, Kate Murphy and Elizabeth Coit. Together, along with a multitude of skilled instructors and volunteers, they offer therapeutic riding programs for children and some adults with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities. It takes quite a bit of energy and effort to run an operation of this magnitude. For Morning Dove to be able to offer the large number of lessons that they do, they need over 150 volunteer hours a week.
As you may have guessed, I am a volunteer with Morning Dove. After a quick, one-hour volunteer orientation, I was ready. I signed up for my first day of volunteering, and I immediately fell in love. For the horse lovers reading this, you can appreciate the happiness that comes with being around horses. As a volunteer, I am able to groom and tack the horses before each lesson, tasks that I truly enjoy. Next comes the lesson, in which a volunteer is paired with a child and a horse. As each horse has its own beautiful personality, so does each ri
der. After a long, challenging day, I look forward to talking to my first grade rider about her day in school. At times, I cannot decide which is stronger: my love for the horses or my love for the riders.
Morning Dove is doing something amazing. However they are in a constant need for volunteers. As I said before, I have some experience with horses. Yet there is just as much of a need for volunteers with horse experience as those without any experience. Every volunteer has his or her own reason for volunteering. Some have been around horses for years, while others wanted to learn more about these magnificent creatures. Regardless of your story, Morning Dove would love to have you as a volunteer. I cannot adequately express how welcoming this group has been towards me. If you have even the slightest interest, I encourage you to contact Lydia Philips at volunteercoordinator@mdtrc.org or call 317-733-9393. For more information about Morning Dove, you can visit their website at http://morningdovetrc.org/.
