Special animals for special people

Joyce Young has a thing for animals.
As if seven dogs and an unknown number of cats aren’t enough for her, the feisty retired bookkeeper also has no less than 33 horses at her Trail’s End Riding Stable north of Devlin.
At least that was the number as of March 10, but another birth is imminent.
She also has a special place in her heart for certain people—people with the kind of disabilities that make independence and recreation difficult. That is why she got involved with the Northern Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association (NORTRA) three years ago.
For Young, the motive was simple. “I had polio when I was 16,” she explained.
But that was only one obstacle she had to overcome. The mother of seven lost her husband before her last child was born and she raised her family single-handedly.
Now that her own children have grown up and moved on, she has found a way to fill the void in her life.
“I had horses for all the kids and when they got married and left, I had all these horses,” she said.
Instead of finding homes for these animals, Young instead has added to their numbers. Now, she rescues horses that have been abandoned or mistreated and turns them into gentle, stable mounts for the disabled.
The idea was born when she heard about the inspiring story of Liz Hartel—the Danish equestrian who, after being crippled by polio, returned in triumph to capture a silver medal at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952.
The concept of therapeutic riding actually pre-dates that event to post-World War I Europe, where wounded veterans rode for recreation and pride. The physical and psychological benefits soon became apparent and formal programs opened in England.
Eventually, the concept spread to Australia and North America and in 1965, the first school opened in Canada.
Young consulted the medical research available and found it to be promising. According to her research, the concept of therapeutic riding found favour in the medical community—provided certain conditions and precautions were observed.
The most important condition, of course, was the horse.
“You need very, very quiet horses,” she remarked. “They have to be so steady that they do not move until you are ready to go.”
Young’s horses all have met that standard. In fact, she said some of them won’t even twitch an ear while someone goes through the labourious procedure of mounting them from a wheelchair or crutches.
Young has a number of different breeds on her farm, but her particular favourite is the Appaloosa. She said she has a breeding line of gentle, calm horses extending from a single mare.
Twelve horses belong to her while six are her family’s and 15 belong to NORTRA. Eleven are rescued horses, which Young said require special treatment and an enormous amount of patience.
“When I take a rescue horse, I go right back to square one. I assume it’s never been broken and work from there,” she explained, adding it takes up to two years until a rescue horse can be trusted with disabled riders.
She only has had to write off one horse since she began doing this in 1988. The rest have all responded to her affection and the influence of her other horses.
Young said she has seen some amazing things happen when disabled people have an opportunity to exchange their legs for those of a horse.
“One small girl came to us unable to walk and with very little muscle control in her rib-cage area,” Young recalled. “She was unable to hold herself up so it required someone to ride behind her and another to walk the horse.
“Her therapist said riding was improving her muscle control so well, we gave her two sessions a week. By the end of the season, she had enough control of her muscles to sit up and ride by herself.
“She was also starting to walk a few steps.”
Two people usually are involved in therapeutic riding. One—the leader—is responsible for the horse while an instructor, or side walker, looks out for the rider.
Sometimes the instructor rides behind the rider if necessary.
Financing always has been an issue for Young. Retired and living on a fixed income, she depends largely on the generosity of those, like her, who have a deep love for horses.
Every year, she holds a “Freedom Ride,” where people collect pledges to help cover the expense of feed for her horses. The event is an all-day affair at the farm, where participants ride, eat, and generally have a party.
One of Young’s regular volunteers is Fort Frances OPP Sgt. Phil Donald. Sharing her love of horses, he first met her eight years ago and remains one her biggest supporters.
“Joyce has such tremendous energy and she’s doing so much for the physically and mentally challenged,” said Donald. “I was encouraged to take part and I did. Besides, it’s a heck of a good time.
“Anybody who can volunteer should contact her and get involved,” he added.
Young also receives support from the local Kiwanis Club and her former employer, Dr. Chris Cannon, but new volunteers are always welcome. Previous experience is not required, she says—only a willingness to help is needed.
“If you don’t know a thing about horses, we can still use you,” she stressed.
For more information on NORTRA or if you’d like to volunteer, contact Young at 486-3378.