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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2016-01-06, Page 9Wednesday, January 6, 2016 • News Record 9 Valerie Gillies Photos Clinton News Record Chad Craig of Goderich (facing) pets Oreo, the horse he regularly rides through the Assisted Horse Program on a tour through the REACH facility during the Open House on December 16. Also on the tour were Alex O'Reilly and Monica O'Connell from Community Living Stratford. Jess Sluys, Herd and Program Manager for the Assisted Horse Program at REACH, Clinton, introduces those on one of the tours during the Open House on December 16 to the horses. Misty is the horse that is used most to pull the carts for the program. Assisted Horse Program has Open House at REACH Valerie Gillies Clinton News Record The Assisted Horse Pro- gram at REACH Huron in Clinton held an Open House on December 16, 2015. Herd and Program Manager Jess Sluys gave tours and answered questions for those who attended. There was literature avail- able at the Open House. The phamplet on the Assisted Horse Program states that this program "Provides sen- iors, children and adults with physical and/or devel- opmental disabilities the opportunity to participate in horse programs that include riding and driving horses." Alex O'Reilly spends time with the horses in the pro- gram as a participant. He has learned that the favourite things a horse likes to be fed as treats are carrots, apples and hay. Sluys states, "Saria is the main pony and is the face of REACH for assisted pro- gram." Saria is the oldest and most experienced pony and appears on most of the pro- motional and educational publications. Chad Craig regularly rides Oreo as part of the program and joins in one of the tours through the facility at the Open House. He does sev- eral things with Oreo, with his favourite activities being Jess Sluys, Herd and Program Manager, introduces Alex O'Reilly and Monica O'Connell of Community Living Stratford to Saria, the main pony of the REACH Assisted Horse Program, during the Open House in Clinton on December 16. to "ride slow, jog, play the fish game and shoot bows in a bucket." Misty is another horse in the assisted program. She is the one who pulls the carts for those who drive, rather than ride. She does get rid- den by some participants. Currently a specialized wheelchair accessible cart is being built in Millbank to extend the program to those who need to remain in their chairs. Misty will pull the new cart, as well. Sluys shows the group the arena. This is used for many of the REACH programs, as well as being used by Ridgetown College for things such as bar- rel racing and competitive practice. The REACH arena is where the Extreme Cowboy compe- tition takes place which is an obstacle race that is timed and judged to compile a score. Sluys explains to the group that the difference at the REACH event compared to others is that here there is open practice before the competition, whereas most do not allow any practice runs. The competitors are allowed an hour and a half to practice. They are then judged to run for the jackpot. The Extreme Cowboy competition is free for spectators to come and enjoy from the stands. Holly Deway is a volun- teer in the REACH Assisted Horse Program. She started helping Sluys a year ago. Deway admitted that she had not volunteered at any- thing before doing this. "Now I could almost do this every day to see the happy faces when the horses come out." Deway is amazed to witness first- hand how much the horses mean to the participants and how much the horses can help them have better lives. She is honoured to be part of such a remarkable program. There are on average 10-12 bookings per week, sometimes more, for the Assisted Horse Program. Some participants book for once a month, rather than weekly. As an example, Sluys confirmed that there were already 16 bookings in her records for the first week of January. The Assisted Horse Pro- gram is just one part of REACH Huron. Ridgetown College partners with REACH to provide equine lessons through the Clinton facility. There are summer camps. The facility is avail- able for competitions and events. Local riding instructors can utilize the facility to teach their students. For more information on REACH Huron or the Assisted Horse Program visit www.reachhuron.ca.