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Kurtis Boss!!
How did you find out about SMILES and how long have you been volunteering here?
When you start dating one of the full time staff members, you get to find out a lot about SMILES (I'll let you guess who I'm talking about)! It started with being "voluntold" to get to SMILES as five volunteers all cancelled for the same class in 2010, making it sixteen years of volunteering. Once I walked through the door, I was hooked!
Tell us who your favorite SMILES horse is and a special memory you have with them:
It's close between Holly and Nugget for completely different reasons. Watching Holly switch from "Barn Holly" to "Class Holly" is amazing to watch. The way the entire herd takes care of their riders makes this a tough question. Nugget, who doesn't love Nugget? Getting to be a part of Nuggets adventures and watching the reactions when petting a horse for the first time is an amazing memory. My favorite memory with him would have to be the 2025 tack sale. A young child was able to meet and interact with him during "nosing with Nugget" and made her dad run back out to the vehicle so she could show me her favorite stuffed animal that looked just like him!
What is a memory with a horse, client, another volunteer at SMILES that you treasure?
My very first student. Once I was officially trained and signed up for class, I was assigned a young man that needed a positive role model to help build his confidence. My first week, when he walked in the door he immediately hid under a table and refused to move or speak. By the end of that session, he was riding independently and giving the entire class nicknames. He referred to Katie B as the "Empress of SMILES" and we had to work on our listening skills when the instructor was speaking. Watching what the horses and program can do for the clients is something everyone should experience.
What is the best part of volunteering at SMILES for you?
It's rare to find a place these days where everyone is there because they want to be there. SMILES is one of those places and I look forward to it each week. Getting to know the other volunteers really shows there is a lot of good in the world, even when everything can seem so negative.
Do you think any of our SMILES horses reminds you of a famous celebrity and why?:
Holly is like Kim Kardashian. She might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you dig deep enough she does a lot of good!
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