NORTH NORWICH – Facing long odds with short money, the owners of the new Anam Cara Stables in North Norwich are certain their horse will come in – because giving up isn’t an option, they said.
Anam Cara is replacing “STRIDE” – a non-profit organization started in 2000 that provided therapeutic horse-riding sessions for children with special needs – after the program was dissolved earlier this year due to a lack of resources.
“We weren’t going to give up,” said stable manager Niki Franklin. “We just couldn’t lose this for our children. We are going to do whatever we can.”
Without non-profit status and any certainty of funding, Franklin, program owner Nadine Joy, and farm owner Betty Bytheway are forging ahead without hesitation, on what they’re calling a “shoestring” budget.
“We’ll figure it out,” Joy said. “It’s worth it, absolutely.”
Joy Miller, of Burlington Flats, is hopeful the new organization will take off. Miller’s seven-year-old son Cameron, who has cerebral palsy, rode for two years at the North Norwich farm, and she said the impact has been staggering.
“It’s been so stimulating. Riding just totally loosened his body to accept other things,” Miller said, explaining that Cameron’s activity level has increased significantly, helping him to walk, run, and play – which he was unable to do before. “To see the glow in him when he got on that horse was just wonderful.”
The program has had hundreds of riders since 2000, Bytheway said, including groups from Pathfinder Village, a community for adults with Down Syndrome in Edmeston.
“The people who call Pathfinder Village their home are fortunate to have such wonderful programs as yours,” wrote Pathfinder’s recreation Director Paula Schaeffer in a letter sent to Nadine Joy dated March 5. “The experience enriches their lives, increases their self-esteem and confidence, and gives them a feeling of accomplishment and pride.”
Joy said the goal at Anam Cara isn’t to just make ends meet, but rather to insure that there’s funding for children and families who want to ride.
“Parents scrounge,” Joy said. “They know how important this is for their children. We want to be able to put aside extra money for these kids.”
Joy said the group is planning a series of fundraisers, including a jewelry sale March 24 at The Coffee Connection in Norwich. In an effort to diversify the stable’s profit sources, Anam Cara – which is Gaelic for “soul-mate” – also plans on offering year-round lessons, day camps, field trip opportunities and trail rides that are open to the public.
Nadine Joy and Anam Cara Stables are certified for therapeutic riding instruction by the North American Riding for the Handicap Association. Joy and Franklin collectively have nearly 40 years experience working with and training horses. The stables provide both an indoor and outdoor riding area, and are home to six horses that range in size and age. For more information, contact the stable at 334-3515 or e-mail them at kaniki@chenangony.net. The farm is located off of state Route 320 on 365 Follet Hill Road in North Norwich.