HorseSense Featured in Daily News
Horse Sense is such common sense
June 26,2006
DAILY NEWS STAFF
When MaryAnn Turlington first met Ariel Thomas, she encountered a bashful girl who lacked confidence.
Thomas, 14, would hold her hands in front of her mouth when she talked. She was withdrawn at school.
A few months went by before Thomas started to open up to her new mentor. But it wasn’t until they joined a new program together in Jacksonville for at-risk youth that Thomas began to change around others, too.
It was a program that just made sense for Thomas, Turlington said.
“You have to be 12 years old (to 18 years old) — those are the turbulent years anyway with peer pressure and trying to be an adult when you’re still a kid,” she said. “Horse Sense just makes sense for that age group.”
The nonprofit group seeks out teenagers who are in need of accountability, responsibility, integrity, self-discipline, gratitude, respect and self-esteem. Kristen Gahl and business partner Alex Barnard run Horse Sense to develop such qualities using a curriculum they developed that heavily relies on their equestrian counterparts.
The quality that Thomas needed most was self-esteem.
“As she gained her confidence working with the horses and attending the classes, she just blossomed,” Turlington said. “She just came out of this shell and there was like this other girl on the other side of the rainbow — very outgoing and assertive. It was heartwarming to see.”
That newfound self-assurance was put into action when a girl in Thomas’ class was being ostracized at school.
“Everybody was mocking her and Ariel stood up for her,” Turlington said. “She would have never done that before.”
Thomas said the program not only boosted her confidence, but helped her become a better communicator.
“It’s realizing that you can do something and that you want to talk about it with people more,” Thomas said. “People just began opening up.”
Reinforcement
Matching up kids and horses is much like a compatibility test.
The shy horse that wanders in the field away from the pack? Pair her up with the shy teenager sitting in the corner.
The horse that is the leader of the pack? Pair him up with the teen who has taken charge. There are even horses that were once physically abused that are paired up with children who have been as well.
“We use the horses to demonstrate,” Gahl said. “Passive? Assertive? Aggressive? How do you fit into the picture? How does it affect your relationships? It’s all about how the horses’ behaviors relate to human behaviors.”
Teenagers who have entered the program include those that have been physically and sexually abused, who have communication issues or who have low grades in school. The curriculum focuses on how to help teenagers change various undesirable behaviors.
“Using the horses as a tool works,” Barnard said. “It actually mirrors their attitude and outlook on life. They see that it’s not the most pleasurable. We work with them and show them how to change. Their behavior is a choice.”
Thomas said the program taught her how to open up to others and learn how to make friends.
“What they were teaching us while we were there is how we feel around the horses is how we should feel around other people — to relax and be open and accepting of people,” she said.
Thomas and her horse learned that together.
“I was jittery so my horse was jittery around me,” Thomas said. “Then once I got to know the horse, the horse got to know me and we rode together.”
Horse Sense focuses on using positive reinforcement. Group leaders never tell the teenagers they are wrong, instead, they guide them to a different direction.
“You make them think through it,” Gahl said.
But why Onslow County?
“We have one of the highest per capita juvenile delinquency rates in North Carolina,” Gahl said. “That’s why I came here.”
The county lacked a nonprofit that focused on at-risk youth, she said, noting that the program doesn’t include therapy riding and is not in competition with Miracle Meadows. Gahl and Barnard have high hopes for the future of Horse Sense.
“I want to be a seamless part of this community,” Gahl said. “We would love to have 50 to 100 kids a week … but it’s difficult to see because of the hurdles.”
Turlington, who is now heavily involved in fund raising and volunteering, said the program is well worth the effort. She even saw changes within herself.
“I had worked with horses many, many years ago until I had a terrible accident,” she said. “It helped me regain my self-confidence as far as horses.”
Gahl and Barnard hope to eventually reach surrounding counties. They are currently partnering with PEERS Family Development Center, the Department of Social Services, Onslow County Youth Services, Onslow County Schools, Guardian ad Litem and the 4H Governor’s One-on-One Mentor Program.
A mentor or parent is required to go through the six-week program with the teenagers. They meet once a week for two hours. The cost is $225, which goes back into the program for the horses, upkeep of the land and necessary items for the curriculum, Gahl said.
If families cannot afford the program, Gahl finds a way.
“Right now I am funding it through my retirement and a few contracts with other organizations who come out,” she said. “We have a desperate need for funding. But don’t get me wrong, we’re blessed.”
An Onslow Rodeo Summer Series is being held to raise money for Horse Sense on Friday and Saturday and various weekends through August. It will feature bull riding, barrel racing, goat tying and activities for children.
Entry fees are $10 for adults, $5 for children six to 12 years old and children five years and old and under are free. The event will be held at Onslow Rodeo Arena at 1345 Kellum Loop Road at 7 p.m.
For more information, call (910) 455-5557.
Contact Chrissy Ingram at cingram@freedomenc.com or by calling 353-1171, ext. 239.
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