VOLUNTEER spotLIGHT: Debra & Bessie Huggins
Debra and Bessie Huggins’ riding instructor told them about Mane Stream back in early 2021 and Debra’s friend also volunteered here and thought it would be the perfect activity for them to do together.
Bessie shared, “One of the things I like about volunteering together with my mom is spending time with her, doing something that has structure. It’s also relevant to both of our lives because my mom has a PhD in special education, and we both like horses. Mane Stream has brought our relationship closer because of the long drive and the hours spent volunteering. It gives us something to talk about, that’s not school!”
Bessie’s mom, Debra, let us know, “When Bessie and I first started volunteering, Bessie was 14. Sometimes on the way up to the barn, Bessie would be on her phone, and quiet. I might get one-word answers. On the way home, it was completely different. There was something about volunteering at Mane Stream that made us both chatty, happy, and relaxed. There was something about sharing the experience of volunteering at Mane Stream - maybe it was the order and gentleness of the barn, our presence with the participants, the joy that they shared with us, the appreciation of their families - I’m not sure I can pinpoint why, but we always have the best conversations on the way home! Now, Bessie is 18, and our drives to the barn are fantastic - she is usually driving, and she is eager to talk about plans for the future, issues with school, etc… but what is unchanged is how happy, chatty, and relaxed we always are on the way home.”
Debra’s first big impression of Mane Stream was the Tack Room. “It’s so organized! I just walk in, and it makes me relax. It is one of the happy places that I think about when I need a minute.” One of her favorite memories is really more of a feeling than a memory. She eloquently stated, “It’s sweeping the hay loft on a fall evening when Bessie was with a participant, and I was done and dropping hay into a stall below. It was warm, cozy, and so still, and just feeling like I was a small part of something really special.”
In addition to volunteering for therapy sessions, Bessie has racked up a lot of hours volunteering with Summer Camp. She says she enjoys it because it has been a little different every summer helping to keep it fresh. She even learned how to make horse treats during camp, and she now makes them at home for her horse!
Thinking introspectively, Debra shared, “I think that volunteering at Mane Stream has helped me to see how good riding horses is for me. I notice that our participants are relaxed and happy after they ride, that they speak more clearly, that their movements are more organized, and that they are stronger and happier. And I realized that the exact same thing happens to me when I ride. There really is something about the outside of a horse that is very good for our participants, and for me too! I have learned so much about my own riding from volunteering with our participants.
Bessie mirrored her mother’s statement, “What I have learned the most about working with the special needs population is how beneficial riding a horse can be, and how life-changing therapy on a horse can be for the clients. I also like that I can share my love of riding with people who cannot ride in a traditional setting. That’s cool!”
Over the years, I think I’ve come to appreciate how hard the horses work. When I first came I was like- “golly, the horses ONLY walk?” Now I understand how hard the horses work to attend and to stay calm when participants are upset, or when their movements aren’t organized. I understand that the horses care as much as we do- maybe more. It’s a powerful thing to see.
And finally, Debra happily exclaims, “Our relationship is so much CLOSER! I like that Bessie is definitely the barn expert at Mane Stream since she spends more time at the barn, and knows it better. That role reversal is really fun for me, and it makes me appreciate who she is as a leader and a young woman, not just my daughter. It makes me feel really proud of her.”
To this date, Debra has graciously volunteered 154 hours mostly in our Therapy Services side of the business while Bessie has accumulated 428 hours volunteering for Therapy and Summer Camp. We thank you both for driving the distance to ensure we have enough coverage for each therapy session and riding lesson!
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Consider Joining the Volunteer Team!
https://www.manestreamnj.org/volunteeropportunities
