Our youth love their time at Whinnying in Life. Twice a month we combine both our After School Program (ASP) and Youth Leadership Program (YLP) groups. Our older youth assist the younger ones, which is great to see. They get to learn from each other and engage positively together in a safe and meaningful way. Before our session with the horses begin, our Mindfulness instructor, Mme. Lee-lee, works with the youth and guides mindfulness sessions through art, journaling, and focusing on our senses and breathing so we can approach our session with the horses in a good way. Our youth can help groom and feed the horses, walk and ride them and even do carting with the minis.

After hearing the youths’ feedback and discussing with Brenda, we have decided to continue collaborating with Whinnying in Life during our Summer Camp for the month of July for three hours every Tuesday. The youth will have a variety of exciting and supervised activities throughout the day such as crafts, groom and pet walks, play time with the minis, time at the park, and riding and carting with the horses. Our youth are excited and looking forward to our future sessions at Whinnying in Life.

Afterschool and Youth Leadership Program Partners with Whinnying in Life

Whinnying in Life is a non-profit charitable organization that have been working with community members for many years. Brenda is the Founder and Director and we are grateful and appreciative of the opportunities she has given our youth. They have created a safe place for individuals to work with horses and receive therapeutic benefits. Benefits of spending time with horses: Horses are forgiving, honest and good listeners, they are patient and want to connect to people, and they’re attentive and non-judgmental.

Submitted by Nancy Debassige