In my brief post on 8/22/06 I introduced you to Freedom Firm. Here is a little about the riding program, officially it will be an animal assisted therapy program, that has caught my attention.
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From correspondence with the founder of Freedom Firm:
"I don't have much on paper yet for the "animal assisted therapy" program. That still needs to be written, but [my husband] and I have certainly dreamed for years about what that would look like. I have done some reading on equine therapy and animal therapy in general, and it seems there is clear evidence that animals can really help children who are sexually and physically abused. It was interesting to me to see that when kids learn to take care of an animal, a lot of times they will learn to transfer that care to themselves, in really practical ways. So a girl that rejects herself because of abuse, finally will begin brushing her hair because she has been grooming a horse for a month... fascinating. I know from my own experience of a painful entry to the States at the age of 10, how I found solace and a sense of purpose in existing when I started working with horses. Thank God my parents had the sense to let me lease a horse, and then work at stables for 8 years and finally save enough to buy Raz and High Hopes when I was 17. I am quite sure my connection with horses kept me from going off the deep end when I was growing up. So far we own an acre and 1/2 on a hillside [in India]. We are trying to buy three more acres adjacent to that land. My dream (horse wise) is to start a horse farm where the girls can come and learn to ride and care for horses, but also where it might grow into an income generating scheme. [Where we live] is a tourist town, and very very beautiful. Foreigners already come from all over the world. If we got a website up and we got on the map for horse trekking (it already is on the map for local pony riding), I could see rescued girls actually having jobs leading trail rides/giving lessons/ running a horse business. There are many schools looking out for the possibility of riding lessons... so that is a long term thought. And one I am very excited about. It is interesting to me that you have all this experience with horses and children and business savvy as well!
An interesting thing to note is that there are many discarded racehorses in [the city]. We have a huge race track that is fully operation in the months of April and May. At the end of the racing season a few young horses are simply left out on the street. They last about a year before they die of starvation. There is also the option of buying racehorses during this season as well. They run about $1000 per racehorse. At the home we have just rented, we have a shed I plan to turn into a stable. The owner gave us permission to take in one of these discarded race horses. There is a pasture on the hill just below the rehab home that belongs to the house we are renting. (1.5 acres) hemmed in by a stream. Hopefully in the month of October I am planning to take in our first horse,and try to rehabilitate it, and at the same time start our animal therapy program. Molly, I would love it if you could come out for a couple weeks if at all possible and join us for a time to get to know eachother. It would be great to coincide it with the adoption of our first race horse. I know that is not much time at all, and I know it may be way too late to arrange that for October. Anyway, we are wide open to whenever it is convenient for you to come. In order to make this horse project work we need the right person. While I know a lot about horses, it could never be my main thing,especially now, where I have to coordinate the whole program of rehab. I love your perspective on animals and the role they play with kids. I agree wholeheartedly! Thanks so much for your interest in our work. It is tremendously encouraging to us."
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I'm going to try to go to India at the end of October. Don't know if I can get off work, but we'll see.
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