Actually, this is a story about the miniature horse that could – and the children who taught him how. Big and little victories occur daily in Overton Arena. One in particular caused lots of celebration this summer. Our Equine Program and Barn Manager, Rebecca Buchholz, tells the story:
After many months of blood, sweat, and tears, the kids at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries and I have FINALLY trained Cajun the miniature horse to pull our pony cart! Cajun was donated as a very young horse. He had a hard time minding his manners when being haltered and led from his grassy pen to a stall to be brushed. This delinquent miniature horse thought his one occupation in life was to eat grass and teach the children the importance of closing gates. In July, however, Cajun joined his fellow mini, Twinkie, in pony cart ride days…something all the kids look forward to!
In true Overton Arena fashion, the process of training Cajun was done with the help of as many Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries kids as possible. They actually ended up doing most of it themselves! Week by week, bit by bit, the kids built trust with Cajun, training him to trust us and the “strange” straps of leather attached to a large metal cart that were put on him. They reassured him each time the training process seemed scary.
The trust, assurance, and firmness that the Home Parents model with the children as they learn self-discipline and boundaries were reflected in the training of Cajun. It was amazing to see how the kids made the connection between Cajun’s need for guidance, and the guidance that they are given through the staff of Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries. The hearts of our kids were being transformed, along with Cajun’s job description.
All this came to a glorious head when Cajun had his first pony cart duty. He behaved like a perfect gentleman, even with loud noises of tractors and a semi, due to renovations at a couple of the homes. Cajun trusted our kids, knowing that they wouldn’t put him in danger, and continued on. Cajun now loves having a respectable job. The brushing, hugs, and scratching from the kids make him happy to participate in pony cart days.
Cajun’s training was a wonderful therapeutic tool. As our Executive Director Larry McDaniel once said, “Everything is a tool. The horses. The lake. The playgrounds. If we have it here, it’s because we think it’s a tool to reach children. It’s something that works.”
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