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All images courtesy of Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding Facebook page

By Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding

I used to think I wasn’t a good enough person to volunteer. People who volunteer are happy, generous, full of energy and compassion among a myriad of other things. I always looked up to these people, and still do. I never saw myself as capable of joining such a group of wonderful individuals because I didn’t meet the criteria for what I thought I needed to be to volunteer, and more importantly, make an impact in my community. Then I learned about Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding, a nonprofit organization located in Rockford, Michigan, just 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids.

Equest Center is a therapeutic horse farm that provides riding lessons to children and adults with disabilities. Their mission is to “improve quality of life through equine-based therapy to physically, mentally and socially/emotionally challenged individuals.’’ Equest has a unique program that integrates academic, social and physical skills, using the horse as a catalyst. Kids and adults alike, from ages 2-102 have all benefited from the strength, confidence and skills that come from riding horses.

There are many factors that go into providing these incredible people with what has been lifesaving therapy for some of the riders. Funding, facilities, horses and staff all play a vital role in the operation of the Equest Center, but what stands out the most are the volunteers. I am fortunate enough to be a part of this incredible organization and know many of the volunteers who commit their time to bettering the lives of others.

I never had a great desire to volunteer, and my reason for doing so was selfish. I came to Equest to pad my resume so I looked better to potential employers, plain and simple. Little did I know how much it would impact my life. In order to understand why volunteering at Equest impacted me so much, let me share a little about myself.

Growing up I was smart and athletic, and seemingly happy. I carried a 4.0 in school, achieved every academic award you could think of, started every single basketball game of my high school career and seemed unbreakable from the outside looking in. Ironic, considering how broken I was. Yes, I was smart and yes, I was athletic. I was responsible, I was loyal, and I was a good friend, but I was fighting every single day not to succumb to the anxiety and depression that had a grip so tight on me that I struggled at every breath. Each morning my eyes opened from the restless night before felt like a curse rather than a blessing.

It was my senior year of high school when I had given everything I had to combat the war my own mind was waging against me. I was drowning. I had shame that blanketed my entire being, weighing me down at every step. I put on a facade every day just to keep people at bay, never hinting that anything was wrong.

I forgot to mention, I am stubborn. I shouldn’t be here today, but I refuse to lose.

I packed my bags and moved myself, my scars, my shame and what was left of my pride half way across the country. Some said I was running, but I didn’t care what I was doing as long as I was starting over. I arrived in West Michigan knowing very few people and had plans to work hard and go to school. I instantly began working hard that summer and the next few years as I worked towards completion of my undergrad career. It was my last semester when I realized I was in no way ready for the “real world”. Those forsaken thoughts of not being good enough and the fear of failure crept back into my mind. Over the past few years I have learned to shut them out, but sometimes they were just too loud. I could not go back down that path.

I met with an advisor who assured me my freak out about entering the real world was completely normal. She gave me some tools for success, some internships to look into and left me with the suggestion that I add some volunteer work to my resume. I walked out of the office fully intending on pursuing the tools she gave me as references and the internships she suggested, but thought I would save the volunteering for the happy, generous, full of energy and compassionate people. I was still pretty sure I wasn’t a good enough person to volunteer.

Little did I know.

I found about Equest through a friend and decided to give it a shot. Probably the best decision of my life. Equest is a place that is therapy disguised as fun, and the riders are some of the most fantastic people ever. They have every excuse to quit, yet they persevere in the relentless pursuit of personal and physical growth. It is one of the most inspiring things to witness, and such an honor to be a part of. I’ve crafted relationships with these riders, the beautiful horses, and the absolutely amazing staff and volunteers. Most people think about volunteering as something we give to an organization, but in this case, Equest gave me so much more than I could ever return the favor for. It changed my perspective and gave me a fresh outlook on life. It gave me encouragement, hope and joy. It is a fact that the Equest Center is therapeutic for the riders, but I am here to tell you that it is just as therapeutic for the volunteers.

There is a never-ending need for volunteers at the Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding located in Rockford, and everyone is welcome to come help. No horse experience is necessary, they will teach you! Don’t make excuses, the experience of contributing to this paramount therapy and meeting the tenacious riders who benefit from it is something that you do not want to pass up on. Volunteers are vital to Equest, considering there are just two full time staff members and over 180 riders who come out weekly. There are over 85 volunteers needed to help at Equest each week. Just a few hours of your time will not only contribute to a great cause and enable riders to get the crucial therapy they need, but it just might change your life like it did mine. To learn how you can become a part of this incredible organization go to www.equestcenter.org. You won’t regret it!