Here’s a bit about Jessica!
How long have you been volunteering at Forward Stride and why did you start?
I’ve been volunteering for about 5 years now. When I was in junior high and high school back in Washington, I volunteered with a similar program where I totally fell in love with equine therapy. I used to work primarily with kids (I think my youngest was 3 or 4) and it was so incredible to see how much of a positive impact it had on them, physically and mentally, and working with horses is just really fun. I’ve been at FS nearly every Saturday morning with the same group of riders since I started, and I have absolutely loved getting to see their skills improve; I am constantly in awe of their horsemanship! I’ve never been more than a very occasional Western trail rider, and after one lesson in an English saddle I have even more respect for all of our riders – that was terrifying.
Who is your favorite horse?
I’ve worked with a lot of really wonderful FS horses over the years, some who aren’t with us any longer. I find that I end up working with a lot of our spicier horses, and I really enjoy that challenge. I’ve been building a relationship with Fleur over the last few years, and I love working with her because she’s such a clear communicator and it really challenges me to work at her pace and within the boundaries of what feels safe to her vs some of our more happy-go-lucky horses you can just toss your tack onto and go.
Do you have a hobby you love to spend time on?
We bought our first house last year and I love having enough space for a real garden! On my first attempt I tried tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, assorted herbs, and pumpkins. I’m a huge Halloween lover, so I had dreams of a bountiful pumpkin harvest. Unfortunately, only a single one partially matured and then a critter chewed on it before I could get it off the vine. This year I want to foray into a cut flower garden!
What is one piece of advice you would give a new volunteer?
Ask questions! Every single person at the barn was new at one point, and we’ve all had a moment where we had to search the tack room for some mysterious pad we’ve never seen before or just couldn’t get a horse to accept the bit. I firmly believe there are no dumb questions, and asking for help keeps you, your horse, and your rider safe.