A little story about GallopNYC: Going above and beyond

To be allowed to volunteer as a Horse Walker with GallopNYC was no small feat! Working with autistic children riding horses is physically challenging for anyone. Gina’s clients needed to be responsible for protecting the children from falling off the horses. Many people considered this type of job not suitable for the clients of AHRC until Gina persisted, by proving that they could!

With permission, Gina hopped on a pony named Mr. Pickles and pretended to be an autistic child with difficulty staying seated on the saddle. Gina’s client’s job was to prove to GallopNYC that they would protect her. The clients of AHRC guided Gina and Mr. Pickles, walking, gently galloping, and going through an obstacle course. Gina’s clients made sure she had her hand on the reins and her feet in the stirrups.

Though the biggest test was to pretend to fall off the pony and see how the clients would react. Sure enough, when Gina started to slide off the pony, her clients instinctively placed her back onto the seat of the saddle. After this demonstration, GallopNYC allowed AHRC to volunteer.