A place of serenity both
Innovative and harmonious.
A spirit of togetherness
Born of both
Human and equine.
An honest bond where
Mortal meets nature:
An alluring luxury of
Mystic fantasy with
A sense of wisdom.
A place where
Independence is a
Patient, peaceful, joyful
Emotion in kaleidoscopic
Shades of:
Sorrel, Chestnut,
Bay, Grey, Black,
Roan, Palomino, and Dun.
A place of healing,
Natural and innate
That whispers to you
In wordless breaths of
Empathy and telepathy
That seems and then...
Just is:
A sweet smelling silence
Of unspoken conversations
And being free
To "just be."
A place of growth,
Development and progress,
That sings to you with
"Walk On!" and "Whoa!"
On a trotting breeze
That pushes forward and
Gets stronger with
Each step kissing dirt
To the slow waltz of
One-two, one-two and
Bu-bump, bu-bump:
Beats as one.
A place of success,
Joy and vitality
That captivates your soul,
As if waking
From a dream of eternity
Into a vibrant light
Where heart is
Poured in
And courage is
Pulled out in a
Vulnerable and beautiful
Exchange
Between horse and rider
With heel's embrace.
A place of self-work,
Confident and generous,
Free to love
Without conditions
And judgments
Where teardrops are jewels,
Precious and fine,
Of victories won
Over disabilities both
Visible and concealed.
A place of rest,
Hopeful and fresh,
That invites you in
With enchanted hooves
And silken manes,
A spark of warmth,
Tenderness and friendship,
Power and beauty,
Strength and grace.
Where life itself is
Held by the reins.
A place called
Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center
Where the way of
Horses healing is a
Wonder to behold.
An elegance of
Sixth sense and intuition,
Heavenly and soothing
Mind, body, and soul.
The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC) is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Intl. Premier Accredited Center nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Southeast Longmont, Colorado. Celebrating 40 years, CTRC has been devoted since 1980 to serving the community with a vibrant array of special needs and disabilities through promoting physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being through a wide variety of equine assisted activities.
In Spring 2016 I was in the middle of my third eating disorder relapse. I was somewhere wanting for it to end and wanting its intensification. Somewhere between having too much and too little emotion. For my birthday my husband surprised me with therapeutic riding lessons at CTRC. I had lived 8 minutes from CTRC growing up and to this day I can't believe it took me so long to step on the grounds. The moment I touched "Lady," a 20 something Sorrel Quarter Horse with a blaze and snip, was like the first taste of fruit after a long and barren winter. The burst of flavor was so sweet. A moment of peace that was immeasurable washed over me. I could almost feel the reverberations of her heartbeat against my hands syncing up with my own.I never knew all the things a horse could do before then. I used to think horses work: walk, trot, canter, ridden for pleasure, driven for work. I never knew they could do so much more. With the wind on my face, I felt control of my surroundings for the first time in ages. Lady took my low self-esteem and pulled me up by my boot straps and gave me a confidence I had never felt before, allowing me to feel successful and accomplished, free from all of that which traps me and holds me down. I never knew that horses could
do so much more than show, jump, and plow. Horses can be a confidant, a best friend, legs to move, muscles for strength, and a body to hold. Because of CTRC I was able to overcome all types of emotional obstacles that had been in my way for years: fear, sorrow, disbelief, self-pity, frustration, and hurt. Horses have given me strength to take up for myself the power to conquer my anxieties and allow me to feel happy and sure myself. Horses and riding allowed me to feel ALIVE and MYSELF for what seemed like the first time in my life. Horses love unconditionally. They don't judge or cause inferiority. Horses care about YOU, who you are. Finding that horses helped me was a wonderful blessing. Finding that I needed horses was a miraculous discovery for me.
After that I started volunteering, continued riding, and never looked back. CTRC is very near and dear to my heart. Through this pandemic I have been unable to volunteer or ride. But I wanted to honor the place that changed my life for the better by writing a poem about the magic of horses and therapeutic riding centers.