Mike's Story

As a volunteer, Mike is part of a group that is an essential component of SERT. Here he describes one of his functions in helping administer lessons.

What exactly do you do as a volunteer at SERT?
“One of the big things is helping out with lessons. Kids come to know and relate to the same instructor and horse every time out. Stability is key. Volunteers are part of that familiar environment for a child. We pretty much keep the same volunteers as part of the team on each special needs lesson, and I’ll be out there as one of the crew members.

"Usually I’ll be either a front walker or side walker. We want the student to benefit as much as possible from the lesson, so it’s important that the student pays attention to the instructor. I’m next to or in front of the horse, making sure the horse is moving the way it’s supposed to be moving and so forth. Or making certain the horse is still during mounting and dismounting.

"All our horses are specially trained. But a volunteer who has a rapport with a particular horse is an added guarantee that the student can focus on what the instructor is saying and doing."

Have you always loved horses?
“Always. But it was only kind of a recent thing, I already was an adult, when I actually got to spend much time with them. That was when I was living in Maryland.”

When you got the chance it was obviously everything you thought it would be.
“As a matter of fact, people were kind of amazed at the way I could relate to horses. That was a big help in assisting kids with special needs. I started doing that pretty quickly. When I moved to this area, I wanted to keep doing the same kind of thing, so I visited SERT and spoke with Connie."

What’s your schedule like? “Three days a week, seven or eight lessons total each week. But this place is habit forming. I love SERT and will come out to help sometimes even when I’m not on the schedule.

“We’re always helping each other, and that ends up helping the kids. Everyone benefits.”