Session Leader at WGH
Whispering Grace Horses is an equine therapy organization founded by Bill and Marcia Shearer. Located in Massillon, Ohio, it’s around half an hour from my house.
WGH seeks to build relationships between horses and people to help with the many problems in our world. Bill and Marcia own two barns: the first one bears the name of the organization, and the second, Freedom Farms, is across the road. The WGH barn mainly works with troubled kids and those with special needs, while Freedom Farms helps veterans. However, anyone is welcome to do sessions, no matter your situation in life. My siblings and I have all done sessions there, and it is the favorite part of the year for many of them.
I was asked to step into the role of a session leader a couple of years ago during a time in life when I was starting to outgrow my adolescent shyness. I taught kids the basics of what we do, seeking to let them connect with the amazing creatures we call horses.
I can easily see how my personality changed and how my relationship and communication skills were dramatically improved by this experience. I attribute a huge portion of my abilities today to the hundreds of sessions I led at WGH.
There are lots of ways to get better at holding conversations and relating to people, but there are very few other things like the session program at WGH. Spending 45 minutes alone with a stranger, both teaching them and talking to them, is incredibly beneficial for social skills. I’ve worked with people half my age and people four times my age, girls, boys, kids with autism or down syndrome, and dozens of energetic preteens who have never talked to a stranger my age before. You can’t fake all the knowledge and skills learned from those hundreds of interactions.
I now believe myself to be a social, outgoing, and conversable person, but I wouldn’t be close to where I am without all the lessons and training I had at WGH. I’m confident in my interactions because I’ve already experienced the awkward and uncomfortable and been able to form a relationship out of it.
I can’t thank the wonderful people at WGH enough for all the time they’ve poured into me and the ways they’ve helped me grow. If you’re interested in what they do, please visit their website: https://whisperinggracehorses.org/
