This Saturday, the clients of People and Animal Learning Services in Bloomington will show off their spring season riding progress at the organization’s spring horse show. PALS holds two shows annually, one in the fall and the other in springtime.
PALS is a nonprofit organization that seeks to connect clients with horses in order to foster therapeutic healing. The learning center benefits clients with all different mobile and physical abilities, including those with disabilities, senior citizens and veterans.
PALS currently has about 100 active volunteers. Volunteers can choose to assist clients during riding lessons as sidewalkers or horse leaders, and they can also help with cleaning the barn and maintaining the facility.
Lauren Cochran, 16, began volunteering with PALS in the summer of 2021 and is now a barn assistant and instructor-in-training. She has also been riding for years and will participate in the Saturday showcase. She said she enjoys watching clients gain confidence as they become more experienced with horses.
“It’s crazy how some of the riders come in and you can tell some of them are super shy or nervous, and then they leave just completely attached to their horse and just super happy and grateful,” Cochran said. “And it’s just amazing to see, because I see it all the time. It’s just an amazing program.”
Tessa McAfee became involved with PALS in 2016 as a volunteer. Now, she is the organization’s equine development director, a role that oversees equine care and therapeutic riding instruction. Additionally, she brings in and trains the center’s new horses and teaches both recreational and therapeutic riding lessons.
McAfee said any PALS client is welcome to sign up to ride in the spring showcase. There are four different classes riders can choose to participate in based on their level of skill, including a showmanship class and a canter class. All PALS riders are encouraged to sign up, regardless of age or skill level.
“Anyone that rides at PALS can participate in the show,” McAfee said. “I think our youngest rider that’s participating is 3 years old, and then we have all the way up to older adults participating as well. So it’s something that everyone enjoys to do, whether they’re a kid or an adult.”
Kori Kirkpatrick is also a volunteer and instructor-in-training who has worked with PALS for the past six months. She volunteered with a horse barn as a child, which sparked her interest in working with horses, and she is also riding in this year’s spring show. She discovered the organization when she was searching for a way to be around horses again after her equestrian interests fell to the wayside.
“I was just really missing being around the horses,” Kirkpatrick said. “And so one day, on a whim, I just searched ‘therapeutic riding center’ near me, found PALS and went through the volunteer orientation and everything, and I just fell in love with being there. I love the horses and love working with the riders.”
Kirkpatrick said she believes in the organization’s ability to positively impact its clients and staff.
“I think it gives one of the most positive impacts that people can get, whether it’s as a volunteer or as a rider,” she said. “I fully believe that everyone can benefit from being around a horse.”
The general consensus among PALS volunteers and staff is that the show will be a celebratory event to give riders a chance to demonstrate all the improvements they have made this season.
“The spring show is probably one of my favorite events that we have during the year,” McAfee said. “It’s super awesome to be able to see my clients get to show off what they work on with their horse throughout the year, whether they’ve been working on a new skill or trying to reach a goal. They get really, really excited to show that off to their friends and family.”
The spring horse show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the People and Animal Learning Center in Bloomington. It is free for the general public to attend. Food from local vendor Betty’s Hotdogs will be available at the event from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More information about the show and the organization can be found on the PALS website.
