Hospital Volunteers Send a Valentine to HELP

The Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program (HELP) was one of several local charities to receive a donation from Los Robles Hospital Volunteers Inc. on Feb. 14.

The volunteer committee's $3,000 donation, allocated from the hospital gift shop's yearly profits, was given in recognition of the therapeutic horseback riding program's value to the community and to aid in the ever-increasing costs of operating the facility.

Shane Haas, president of the board of directors of the nonprofit Los Robles Hospital Volunteers, presented HELP owner and longtime Moorpark equestrian Pete Peters, 89, with the check during a breakfast ceremony held at the hospital.

"This will cover feed costs for the next two months," said a thrilled Jeff Ferguson, horse trainer and instructor with the program, who accompanied Peters to the event.

As participants took turns introducing themselves and their charitable programs, the normally gruff Peters demurred, "Well, I'm not much of a public speaker," before launching into the 40-year history behind HELP.

After retiring from the Army in 1960, Peters and his late wife, Opal, settled in Moorpark and began raising and training Arabian horses. Together, they traveled the country for more than 10 years, competing in high-level equestrian events with their best prospects, including a stallion named Kelvin Lancer. 

The beloved stallion received many prestigious trophies and titles, including Horse of the Year at the 1983 American Horse Show.

The Peterses' introduction to horseback riding for the disabled came in the early 1970s when a friend requested their help with an equestrian event for the blind. From there, the couple developed their own therapeutic riding program and, by 1987, the nonprofit HELP was officially established.

Throughout the years, the program has flourished, attracting children with physical and mental disabilities ranging from autism to cerebral palsy.

"We've worked with paraplegics, kids with severe brain damage and epilepsy," said Peters, who believes in the transformational connection that happens between student and horse. "There's just something about being up on a horse and being in control of this big animal," he said.

"Our goal is to give the best horseback riding experience we can, depending on the student's ability," explained Trish McElroy, a scientist at Amgen and HELP coordinator and co-instructor with her husband, Ferguson.

McElroy said parents are asked, “What are your goals? What do you want to develop, improve?" She finds that the majority want their children to have help in focusing, language development, being engaged and just plain having fun.

Along with in-saddle exercises to build core muscles, the instructors also employ activities like counting games to encourage students to speak and develop their language skills.

And while some children take to the horses immediately, others aren't so sure about the large creatures. Take 10-year-old Sai Nadiminti, an autistic student who joined the program about five years ago.

"We were coming for about two months and, despite our best efforts, Sai was not going anywhere near the horses," recalled his mother, Shanti Nadiminti. Not one for coddling, Peters employed a tough-love approach by showing  Sai's mother to a nearby tackroom, telling her to stay put and closing the door behind him.

Peering through the window, she watched as Peters and a helper "lifted Sai onto the horse's back and started leading him around. The first circle, he was crying, but by the second he was doing just fine."

Since then, Sai has always wanted to come back.

"He spoke his first words here," said Nadiminiti, "and gave his very first kiss—to a horse!"

HELP's volunteers find so much inspiration on Peters' Moorpark ranch, they too can't wait to come back.

"It is just heaven up here to me," said Penny Bjorkland, one of Peters' most committed volunteers. "Some of the kids don't want to be touched, and when they finally give you a hug, it's just amazing," she said.

Even parents who aren't necessarily fond of horses find the program to be invaluable.

"I like dogs," offered Ted McAllister, whose son Luke has been with the program off and on for about 10 years. And while McAllister is not a big fan of equine odors, he finds the trade-off for his son's peace of mind to be priceless.

"We searched for therapies, trying as many things as possible to see what Luke would connect with," he said. "This was the first hit.”

Luke, who is nonverbal, would “look in the horses' eyes and try to communicate with them,” said McAllister.

He credits Ferguson for his son's growth in the program.

"With Jeff as his instructor, Luke has the ability to connect with both the horse and the instruction he's receiving," McAllister explained, adding that through controlling the horse, Luke also gains regular control over his personality.

"He becomes much more relaxed, focused and confident, and acts out much less," he continued. "I know if he doesn't come here, things will cascade in the wrong way and he'll end up having a very bad week with home schooling and therapy."

Parents hail the program's benefits to their children's lives, including increased self-esteem, improved motor skills, muscle control, balance and focus.

Eileen Dyck, whose daughter, Lexi Gray, started the program 12 years ago at the age of 8, saw stark improvements. Once told that Lexi would never read or write, Dyck said not only is she reading, but she also drives her own car.

"To get on and command that horse to do what she wants is a big, big deal," remarked Dyck.

Lexi is one of HELP's A-level riders, competing in equestrian events for children and young adults with disabilities. Though the sport was phased out of the Special Olympics in 2005, the Kiwanis Club of Warner Center continues to offer its annual Equestrian Competition for Special Athletes. The event typically attracts 10 to 15 therapeutic horseback riding groups.

The Kiwanis Club distributes the net proceeds from the event to the therapeutic riding programs that attend. The funds are welcomed by Peters, who requests a $20 donation for lessons, but largely funds the program with his military pension and Social Security payments.

Regardless of finances, "no child is turned away," said Peters. And though age has slowed him down, his dedication to HELP and the children it serves never seems to wane.

"God doesn't want me yet and the devil won't have me," quipped Peters. "He must want me here for a reason." 

The Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program is located at 7155 Walnut Canyon Rd., at Spring Road. Lessons are offered every Saturday. For more information or to volunteer, call 529-0888.