- November 21, 2024
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by: Brent Woronoff
There’s no sign on the road for Whispering Meadows Ranch, so if you miss the number on the mailbox you might drive right past, not knowing that this is where miracles happen.
Helene and Richard Davis opened Whispering Meadows Ranch with their daughter Kristine Aguirre 13 years ago. The five-acre ranch off John Anderson Highway is a 100% volunteer-based nonprofit that provides equine therapy for children and adults with special needs.
Helene and Kristine and an army of nearly 40 volunteers introduce horsemanship to kids with a wide-range of disabilities from behavioral issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and brain injuries.
"The guests are provided with opportunites to plant gardens, ride and groom horses, take pictures, and walk-in-the-woods experiences."
RICHARD and POLLY CONKLING
The ranch is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International center. Helene and Kristine first learned about PATH International when they volunteered at Marion Therapeutic Riding Association in Ocala.
“We heard about that place, and we just went over there one day,” Helene said. “We fell in love with just the whole concept of working with these kids and how the horses empower them and how it helps them in every single part of their body.”
Kristine said: “It was just breathtaking to see what they were doing over there and realizing that we had nothing like it in this county or adjoining counties to serve this community.”
They enrolled in a two-year program to become certified instructors. They had to volunteer while learning about disabilities as well as the horses and equipment and becoming proficient at riding.
Once they were certified, Helene and Richard decided to transform their five acres of undeveloped property into the ranch.
“This was all covered with trees,” Helene said, sweeping an arm over the property. “Someone donated a horse to us. We had no place to put it, so my husband got the tractor out, cleared a little bit of area, put some fencing up, and shortly after another horse came and then another horse, so he kept on working, expanding.”
They now have four horses and a pony, a riding arena and interactive trails with chalk boards, magnetic boards and various games.
“As soon as the word got out, it spread like wildfire,” Helene said. “We had somebody donate the labor for the ramp and somebody else donate the lumber, so we could help people in wheel chairs get on the horse.”
Everyone who works at the ranch is a volunteer, including Helene, Kristine and Richard. All of the money that comes in goes back into the ranch.
Children are scheduled once a week with no more than three to a session. They ride for 30 minutes and they interact with their horse for an additional 15 minutes, building a relationship. They learn all the steps to groom their horse.
“Every session incorporates a riding skill and a life skill,” Kristine said. “A life skill might be just following instructions. We may have a pattern where they have three stops, so they’re going to practice walking and whoaing and steering their horse, and their life skill will be following the pattern, stopping your horse when you’re supposed to, picking up the item you’re supposed to.
“One of the biggest things we see is when the kids come here they may be shy and some of them are very sad or withdrawn, and after one or two visits they’re opening up and they’re sharing.”
Helene said they have seen non-verbal children speak their first words – giving their horse the command to “walk on.” And she said they have seen children take their first steps.
Helene, who is 73, had a window treatment business in Bunnell for 27 years. She finally closed it five years ago.
“We didn’t sell it, we just walked out the door. I loved my job, I loved my customers, but this was where my heart was,” she said.
“My parents retired, and this is their way of giving back to the community that has been good to them,” Kristine said. “We’ve been very blessed with this program. Everyone who comes here says this place is different, because we do it for love. We love everyone who comes here.”
