Horses help children learn

Despite the mud and water, two students in the project Forward Stride still showed up to ride horses.

Cindy Brandjord, director and instructor for Forward Stride, was busy Monday and Tuesday helping students from both school districts in Sweetwater County ride horses as part of their equine therapy.

Brandjord said the program, funded by the Sweetwater County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, allows students with mobility issues to ride horses. She said a horse's movement is closest to a human's movement. She said when students are not riding the horses, they are brushing them, petting them and learning about empathy.

The students quickly learn that a horse is really big compared to themselves. They also learned that they should treat an animal the way they need to be treated, which will transfer over into other aspects of their life.

On Tuesday, Brandjord made sure all of the students and volunteers in the program had a mustache, all of which were donated by Harrison Elementary School. Brandjord said the mustaches were a way to bring the City of Green River's summer programs into their own. She said this week there was a mustache run and the kids were exciting to complete their own version of a run on the horses.

Brandjord was careful when instructing the students on how to get on and off of a horse. Once in the saddle, the students would learn how to make the horse move by giving verbal commands and by kicking them gently in the sides. Tuesday morning, in a wet and puddle filled corral, Green River student Tyler Havens was busy telling the horse to go and giving the horse a gentle kick with his boots; and telling the horse to stop by saying "whoa" and pulling back gently on the reins.

Brandjord was constantly giving the children praise when they successfully completed a task, she would also give them advise on how to give a command or carry out a task better.

Another Green River student, Joe Renfro, was busy using his feet to grab the reins and direct the horse to where he wanted it to go. He was working hard to control his movements and the horse's movements.

Brandjord said the students have really improved; and they are learning important skills.