Horses Healing Hearts Vaulting Team Rises Above Challenges
Story and Photos by Lenore Phillips
The sport of vaulting works to combine the joy of riding a horse and the freedom of flying with the satisfaction of athleticism and teamwork. Horses Healing Hearts (HHH), the nonprofit organization that uses horses to help children of alcoholics and addicts, is incorporating vaulting into its program to empower participants to work together as a team and learn to believe in their own abilities. Vaulting is often described as gymnastics on horseback and has origins that can be traced back thousands of years. The discipline can be practiced as either competitive or therapeutic, and is open to men and women equally. A vaulting team usually includes seven individuals and one horse, although many teams use a wooden horse to learn fundamental skills. Led by coach Maria Bernal, the HHH vaulting team
meets once a week before the regular HHH program session to learn drills and put together routines. Bernal has been volunteering her coaching time at HHH for four years, and has seen the team grow and change as its members become more comfortable with their abilities. “The first things I want to accomplish through vaulting are self-esteem, discipline and teamwork. If we can accomplish those three things, it’s not only teaching them vaulting and horseback riding, it is also teaching them skills for life,” she explained. Many children who come to HHH are suffering due to a volatile family situation beyond their control. Because the clients of HHH are children of parents who struggle with alcoholism and addiction, they often arrive wary of adults. Many are uncomfortable communicating openly and are protective of their privacy. Bernal is used to this behavior and uses it to her advantage. “When children come to HHH, they don’t trust us,” she said. “When I first start to teach them, they won’t
Victoria Campbell and Alexis Manger practice their routine during a Saturday morning session. wellington the magazine | april 2017
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