A small group of at-risk Cleveland students gathered inside a Hambden Township horse barn Sept. 15 to connect with a group of misfit horses that have a lot to teach.
A small group of at-risk Cleveland students gathered inside a Hambden Township horse barn Sept. 15 to connect with a group of misfit horses that have a lot to teach.
“Our hope is to use our herd of misfit horses to connect with at-risk youth, showing them a world of opportunities and optimism for their future,” said Lindsay Holland, owner of Peridot Equine Sanctuary.
The 5-acre sanctuary off Brakeman Drive is dedicated to providing training and stable environments for misfit horses and is home to five affectionately called “misfit” horses named Donovan, Little Guy, Raine, Tic Tac and Lucy.
Peridot Equine Sanctuary hosted an all-day educational workshop last Saturday on farrier and trick training for Leg Up for Cleveland’s Kids, known as LUCK, an urban equestrian program for disadvantaged youth.
The day’s agenda included a focus on holistic horse care with a trimming demo, riding, arena clean up and set up, obstacle demo and riding obstacles.
“Finding your herd, where you belong, can be difficult in any stage of life,” Holland said. “For teenagers in Cleveland and surrounding areas, the urge to find their place can be not only difficult, but dangerous. Gang violence is at an all-time high and it only continues to escalate. Peridot Equine Sanctuary pairs their passion for rehabilitating misfit horses with their love for the local community.”
LUCK enhances relationships between adolescents and the Cleveland Police Department through the healing power of horses and gives them a “leg up” within and outside of the horse industry.
Four community-minded equestrian women who wanted to bring the benefits of equestrianism to Cleveland’s urban youth conceived the nonprofit organization in 2016. LUCK partners with stables ands transports Cleveland youth to the Chagrin Valley and surrounding areas for various programming.
“This is the first time we’ve done an event with an urban equestrian program,” Holland said. “While this is our first event of its kind, this is the ultimate goal for our horses. The sanctuary is dedicated to opening their doors to Cleveland’s youth. They offer an arena that is safe, positive and holds the key to help teenagers transition into careers in the equine trades or agricultural fields.”
Holland’s fiancé and barn hand, Jason Campbell, helped with the program.
Students watched Holland demonstrate trimming horse hooves and then got a hands-on training by doing it themselves.
Kourtney Morgan, 19, a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School,
joined LUCK about three years ago and never left. She now attends Cuyahoga Community College with plans on becoming a baker and chef.
“I always liked horses,” said Morgan, who spent time growing up in Georgia. “I’m a country girl. I really like just being out here. When you’re around a horse, they get off from your energy and they are more willing to come to you. They feel your energy. I like working with horses.”
Holland said creating and fostering relationships with horses promotes compassion, hard work, consistency and purpose.
Racquel Stanley, 17, who likes to go by the name Rocky, is a senior at Martin Luther King Jr. High School with a strong desire to become a K-9 police officer or a member of the Cleveland Police Mounted Unit.
“I want to give back to the community. It’s fun and relaxing to be around horses,” Stanley said, adding she really enjoys braiding their hair.
“They are like humans,” she said. “They have anxiety. I can relate to them.”
Holland said her horses, who each have their own difficulties and unique talents, get the chance to demonstrate that even with a difficult past, it is still possible to find your place and purpose in this world.
“The mission of the Peridot Equine Sanctuary is to provide a safe haven and positive environment for horses and young people alike who deserve a true chance to live a healthy and productive future,” she said.
Long-term, LUCK seeks to create partner programming with the Cleveland Police Mounted Unit by building a state-of-the-art facility to share with them.
Laura Hammel — LUCK’s president and founding member, and Notre Dame College professor —shared her thoughts following the educationally packed day.
“This program was special from my perspective because they had a hands-on experience with a career opportunity unique to the equestrian industry (farrier work) and got a chance to understand how training techniques vary based on horses’ physical and experiential needs,” Hammel said. “They also got a chance to learn about how to
ride from a different perspective and discipline. They learned that various riding styles originated from combat and other historical situations.”
Holland said her dream is to help horses and to help people through horses.
“This is just the first step towards realizing that dream,” she said.
