We just finished our first session, of 8 sessions happening once a week, with a group of young people. Our horses and I are privileged to work with this group of teens. I say a privilege, because it is a thrill to watch the interaction with our horses and the young people. It is amazing to watch as they choose each other, pairing up with personality and past experiences that match, it’s amazing.

The horse’s (4 in this case) are turned loose in the arena. The teens (8 in this case, in teams of 2) are let loose in the same arena, they mix and mingle with the horses and get acquainted. What comes out of this time together, is they choose each other, and match up for the sessions to come. This is quite extraordinary (that is a bigger word than you would normally find me using). Personalities begin to match, not clash.

Here are some of the matches.

- Bucky, our miracle mini with his genetic trouble causing difficulties with his back legs thinks he is a big horse, has no fears, is Mr. Curiosity and is full of attitude. He ended up being matched with –guess. Your right, it was a short young lady who walked in the door, asking all kinds of questions, Miss Personality plus, while making sure she was recognized – as large as life.

- Cuddles is a Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, the 20 year old lead mare of the herd with lots of attitude. She is 14 hands high and has, what I call, the little horse attitude. She has also been an excellent mother. Cuddles is her name for a reason. She can be just a sweet heart, which she shows time and time again with the young children that ride her and loving it when they give her kisses and hugs. She also has a bit of a breathing problem, which I think is similar to asthma. Her match was a couple of young people who like to be leaders; the young man that matched with her has asthma. He said her heavy breathing, before he found out, scared him because he thought she was mad at him. A judgement that changed when he learned the reason why.

- Cherish, my 10 year old mare is a Quarter Horse, Rocky Mountain Horse Cross and expecting in the next 3 weeks. Cherish has had a few losses in her life. We lost her mom when she was a yearling (a long story which we don’t like to talk about). Cuddles took over as her foster mom. Her last and first baby was born a couple of years ago, gorgeous colt, died at a week old from a lung bacterial infection. She mourned for some time. We loaned her out as a foster mom and then that foal died. It took her about a year to come back to the Cherish we know and love. Cherish is about 16 hands, sweet as can be and just a wonderful horse. She matched up with a young lady who had a number of losses in her life and was a foster child. Those are the moments that bring tears to your eyes and lump in your throat.

- Bandit, our little mini gelding with blue eyes, is very shy and nervous. He looks for security where he can find it. The young lady that matched up with him was a very shy nervous young lady searching for security. Isn’t that amazing how that works?

It will be interesting as we proceed over the next weeks to see how the horses and counselor can help these young people as they struggle with their lives.