Smiles on Saddles

Brandon Twp.– The sun shone brightly and so did the smiles on a recent morning at a special camp.
A small army of volunteers were on hand to assist children and young adults with varying disabilities as they played African drums or rode horses in a corral and on trails during the Smiles on Saddles Camp. Offered by O.A.T.S. (Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles), a non-profit 50-acre therapeutic horseback riding facility for people with special needs, the camp offers art, music, swimming, and, of course, horseback riding every August with two one-week sessions.
Nancy Heussner, executive director and founder of O.A.T.S., stands in the middle of a corral, as volunteers assist campers in climbing on horses.
‘The backbone and heroes of this program are the volunteers,? says Heussner, who began O.A.T.S. to give back. ‘It doesn’t work without them.?
Volunteers outnumber riding campers by about a 2-1 margin. They provide not only assistance in helping campers stay on their horses, but encouragement.
The campers, meanwhile, are learning concentration, large motor skills and language skills. Heussner says that the phrase ‘Walk on,? the command given to horses to start them moving, has even been some participants? first words ever spoken.
William Watts, 19, is here with his grandmother, Margaret Connon, who also volunteers. Legally blind and disabled after complications from a surgery when he was 12, Watts is enjoying camp. His favorite part, he says, is ‘the girls.? His grandmother laughs.
‘He has gone through a tremendous change,? she says. ‘He had no energy to do anything until he got out here with the horses. This has done a lot for him. He can’t wait for Tuesdays to ride and we do camp both weeks.?
Beth Pellerito is another volunteer, who became an instructor through the National Association for Handicapped Riding. Her son, Nicholas, 11, who is physically and mentally impaired, has been coming to O.A.T.S. for eight years. His sisters, 8 and 13, also volunteer. Pellerito believes in O.A.T.S. so much she and her husband moved the family from Farmington to Groveland Township to be near the facility.
‘It has helped him with his balance and communication,? says Pellerito of her son. ‘This has done so much for my son.?
Like Heussner, Pellerito wants to give back.
‘You reap what you sow,? she says.
Nearby, a volunteer helps a camper navigate a trail on horseback. The young girl astride the horse struggles, with the volunteer encouraging her. ‘C’mon, Amy,? she says and sings, ‘We are the Champions? as the girl smiles.
Reap what you sow, indeed.
INFO: O.A.T.S. will be hosting The Main Event, a horse show for special needs individuals, at Springfield Oaks Park in Davisburg. A pancake breakfast is at 8 a.m., with the horse show beginning at 9:15 a.m. Cost is $2 parking. Fun and games for all, everyone welcome.. Details: (248) 620-0505.

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