I began participating in The Pony Express Equine Assisted Skills for Youth Program during middle school. I called the director, Linda Aldrich to schedule a visit to the ranch. On the day of the visit, Linda took me out into the field to groom some of the ponies, and I really enjoyed my time there. So, I decided that I wanted to participate in the Program.
At the beginning, I was a very timid and quiet kid—I always preferred keeping to myself over talking to strangers, and I did just that. Immediately after my first day at Howarth Park, I had already become friends with some of the other participants. I looked forward to seeing them and the ponies every Saturday at the ranch and then Howarth Park. I soon became close to all of the ponies and my new friends, especially during the summer when I had the opportunity to participate several times a week. That, along with a combination of working with the horses, other kids and the public really pushed me to put myself in uncomfortable places, ones where I had to interact with people I had never met before.
To some that may seem like a regular action, but to me, it was a huge leap. Struggling with my sexuality and not previously dealing with many people, something as simple as socialization posed so many difficulties and was an essential skill that I learned from the Pony Express. Before, and even toward the beginning of the program, anything from raising my hand in class to giving a presentation was a challenge—there was no way I could do public speaking without shaking with anxiety and even talking to someone one-on-one seemed impossible.
The leadership and life skills that I learned at The Pony Express with the most amazing kids and ponies helped me to grow accustomed to communicating, working with others, and adapting quickly to unknown situations. The first significant public speaking event that I did was at the Pony Express: at one of our annual fundraisers, I talked about my experience in the program in front of the crowd. Although I was terrified, the safe space I experienced at The Pony Express allowed me to do it with relative ease. Since then, I have spoken—and even led—a ton of different events involving public speaking, and no longer am afraid of doing so.
I am currently a Senior at Swarthmore College in PA studying Latin American Studies and Religion. I will forever treasure the time I spent at The Pony Express, and I am infinitely thankful to the ponies, participants, and Linda for helping me through my journey.
